


Star Trek: Baby Blue

by IBegToDreamAndDiffer



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Family, Fluff, I'll post warnings in each drabble, Kid Fic, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Mpreg, Rating May Change, Soren gets his own tag 'cause he's awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-19 09:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2383145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBegToDreamAndDiffer/pseuds/IBegToDreamAndDiffer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their son has Jim's eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry, CBS and Paramount. I own nothing but the plot and make no money from this story.

His eyes were blue and Spock stared at them in fascination. He was aware that human babies were often born with blue eyes, but Vulcans always had dark eyes; various shades of brown and black, certainly, but always dark. While this child was only a quarter Vulcan, the Vulcan genes had proven to be dominant; the baby had a thick head of black hair, pointed ears, pale skin and green blood. But his eyes were all Jim Kirk. Spock hoped that they stayed this shade of blue; it was illogical and he didn't plan on sharing it with anyone, but he thought it all the same.

Jim sat at Spock's side, a goofy smile on his face, while Dr McCoy spoke with the Vulcan healer who had delivered the baby in the corner. The _Enterprise_ was orbiting New Vulcan and most- if not all- of the crew were waiting to hear if the baby had been born healthy, and whether it was a boy or a girl. Spock had wanted to find out as soon as possible to plan accordingly, but Jim had wanted to be surprised. Spock almost always gave in to what his bondmate wanted.

'He's perfect,' Jim breathed reverently, and Spock felt his lips twitch upward.

'Indeed,' he agreed. He was aware that the baby wasn't perfect; no being was. But he was as close as could be, and in Spock's eyes he was breathtaking.

He was half Jim, half Spock. He may one day express an interest in science, or he could follow in Jim's steps and be more interested in command. He may stay out of Starfleet all together and choose a different career; teacher, writer, law enforcement officer, there were thousands of possibilities. He would be his own little person one day, and Spock's side felt tight when he realised that he would be there for all of that. He and Jim would raise this baby, would be his _parents_. One day Spock might see his son off to the Vulcan Science Academy, or help him move into a dormitory if he decided to study on one of Terra's many colleges.

'Spock,' Jim said softly and Spock tore his eyes away from their son's.

'Jim?'

'You're crying,' Jim stated.

Spock blinked slowly, and then shifted the babe so that he was settled into the crook of Spock's left arm. He reached up and gently touched his cheek. His fingers came away moist and cold, and Spock frowned slightly.

'It's okay,' Jim said, 'I kinda feel like crying myself. I mean... he's _real_ , ya know?'

'Indeed,' Spock repeated. He had been aware of the child for months; from when he had been nothing more than a clump of cells. Spock's mind had become aware of the change, and he had sought medical advice before informing Jim that he was with child. But it hadn't truly prepared him for the amazing feeling of holding his son in his arms for the first time.

_Their_ son. His and Jim's.

Spock lowered his hand so that he could clasp Jim's, both of which were sitting on the bed. Jim smiled at him and turned his hand over so they could slot their fingers together.

'He's perfect,' Jim said again, eyes gliding back to their son.

The as of yet named child was in the process of falling asleep. His head was resting on Spock's bare arm to allow a transfer of thoughts and feelings; more emotions at this point, as the child was too young to organise his thoughts. Spock was mostly receiving washes of hunger and warmth, and a curiosity to touch the light-haired man at Spock's right. Spock smiled faintly. The child already had Jim's curiosity, it seemed.

Spock would need to let Jim have skin contact soon so that the baby could form a mental bond with him. It would be difficult, but not impossible. As a psi-null human, Jim would need Spock's help to establish the connection and help the bond form. The baby could not do it alone.

'He needs a name,' Jim said, gaining Spock's attention.

'Yes, he does,' Spock agreed.

Jim hummed and flicked his eyes from his husband to their son, switching every minute or so; Spock was too tired to count properly. Natural childbirth was exhausting, and Spock would either need to meditate or sleep soon.

'Hey, can I sit?' Jim asked.

Spock looked at him and arched an eyebrow. 'You never have to ask, Jim,' he said.

Jim laughed and nodded as he stood. He let go of Spock's hand and Spock withdrew it, watching as Jim toed off his sandals and climbed onto the cool sheets. New Vulcan was a desert planet and just as hot as the original. Jim had been walking around in thin linen clothing, robes and sandals for the duration of their two week stay.

Jim settled against the wall and against Spock's shoulder. His warmth bled through Spock's thin white gown, making Spock's cooler skin warm.

'How'd your parents name you?' Jim questioned.

'I believe that Spock was the name of one of Surak's grandsons,' Spock said.

'You _believe_?' Jim asked with a small smirk.

Spock sighed slightly through his nose and Jim snickered quietly. 'Spock was the name of Surak's fourth grandson by his third son, Sural, and his t'hy'la, Syenn.'

'Huh,' Jim hummed. 'I still can't believe you're related to the Vulcan who made your species all logical.'

'I am a direct descendent,' Spock corrected.

Jim rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, yeah. Anyway, are we giving this little guy a Vulcan name or a Terran one? Or we could name him something weird.'

Spock scowled lightly and Jim laughed again; he kept it quiet, though, not wanting to wake the baby. Spock had felt their son slip into sleep a few seconds earlier.

'Okay, nothing weird,' Jim grinned. 'Any thoughts?'

'No,' Spock admitted. He had not thought of a name, because a part of him had been worried. Spock had already lost his mother; a small part of him had been terrified that he would lose the baby, despite being in perfect health and aboard a ship with the best medical officer in Starfleet. Dr McCoy had been perfect throughout Spock's pregnancy, apart from a few jokes here and there about Jim settling down and “knocking that damn hobgoblin up”. He had also made references to buns and ovens which Spock still didn't understand.

Jim smiled gently. He had been aware of Spock's fears and have always talked him through them, or held him at night after Spock had a nightmare, both of their hands clasped over the swell of Spock's stomach. He didn't tease either now, simply leaned over and pressed a warm kiss to Spock's temple.

'Are there any names you can think of?' Jim asked. 'I only know your, Sarek, Surak, and the healer's name, T'Mai.'

'T'Mai is traditionally a female name,' Spock murmured. His gaze had drifted back to the baby, so he missed Jim's fond eye roll.

'Do all male Vulcan names start with an S?' Jim asked.

'Traditionally, yes,' Spock said. 'And most female names start with a T. Not always, but 99.7% of the time, yes.'

'So a name beginning with S,' Jim mused. 'S, S, S... Sss... Sim... S'Jim... Sames...'

'Please stop adding an S to your own name, Jim,' Spock interrupted.

Jim huffed a laugh and settled back further against the wall, slouching slightly at Spock's side. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I just can't think of anything.' He looked past the Vulcan at their son, taking in the delicate pointed ears, the green-tinged lips, the messy black hair that wouldn't be cut for some time. Most Vulcans had their child's hair cut at one year to signal their transition from baby to child. Spock had the overwhelming urge to let the baby's hair grow out, or perhaps cut it short so it spiked up like Jim's.

Spock followed his mate's gaze and once again felt his heart swell in his side. This was real. After eleven months their child was finally here, in Spock's arms. They had already converted Spock's old room on the _Enterprise_ into a nursery and bought everything they needed. They were staying with Sarek and Elder Spock for a few weeks; both of the older Vulcans had expressed joy- even _Sarek_ \- when Spock had announced his pregnancy, and they wanted to get to know the new addition to the House of Surak before Spock and Jim left on the _Enterprise_ once more.

Spock wondered if his counterpart had been waiting long, because it was at that moment that the door to the hospital room slid open, admitting Elder Spock- or Ambassador Selek, as he now went by- as well as Sarek and his new wife T'Rin.

T'Rin was pregnant with twins, a fact that still made Spock uncomfortable. His father had re-bonded to both help his mind recover from the loss of Amanda, and to help repopulate the Vulcan race. Spock knew that his father respected and was fond of T'Rin, but didn't know if his father loved her. He had loved Amanda, of that Spock had no doubt. Spock wasn't truly prepared to speak to his father about Sarek's new wife, so neither broached the subject all that often when they communicated.

'Spock,' Elder Spock said, eyes and wrinkled face both warm. He smiled more than Spock did. He had spent more of his life living with humans than Spock had, and had been bonded to his Jim Kirk for many years. Spock wondered if _he_ would show more emotion after a lifetime with Jim.

'Selek,' Spock responded.

Elder Spock's eyes moved to the baby, and his entire demeanour softened. There was pain there as well; Spock detected it in his counterpart's eyes. Elder Spock wasn't fertile; a by-product of his mixed heritage. Unlike Spock, who had been informed at nine years of age that he was both fertile and a carrier. Both Spocks had wondered why they were different in that manner; their universes should have been the same up until the day of Jim's birth.

'Would you like to hold him?' Spock asked his older self.

Jim, Sarek and Elder Spock all looked at him in surprise, which was understandable. Spock had mixed feelings about his counterpart. He could never bite down the sting of jealousy that shot through him when he saw Elder Spock and Jim conversing like long-lost friends. Jim was _his_ t'hy'la, and the very primitive side of Spock always wanted to convey that when the three were together.

'I believe that Jim should hold him first,' Elder Spock said, amusement flashing in his eyes. 'He looks ready to jump out of his skin.'

Spock frowned at the unfamiliar saying, while Jim said, 'I am not.'

Elder Spock just smiled lightly, and Spock turned to his bondmate. 'Jim?'

Jim huffed. 'Okay, so I wanna hold him. Can you blame me?'

'Of course not,' Spock said. He sat up slightly, holding back the wince when his lower body throbbed in pain.

Spock managed to pass the baby over without waking him, and watched as Jim's entire demeanour softened. He sniffed once, twice, before mumbling, 'I'm not crying.'

'The birth of your first child is a truly emotional moment,' Sarek spoke, drawing Jim's attention. 'It is okay to cry, James.'

'I know,' Jim smiled slightly. 'Did you cry when Spock was born?'

'No,' Sarek said, 'though I did faint when Amanda informed me that she was pregnant.'

Jim snorted and Spock looked at his father in surprise. Elder Spock didn't seem shocked.

'I nearly fainted when Spock told me,' Jim admitted, 'but Bones grabbed me and helped me sit. Then Uhura laughed at me when she found out.' He gasped suddenly and all eyes turned to the baby, just in time to see him come out of a yawn. He blinked his eyes open and they focused on Jim's, blue meeting blue.

'Fascinating,' Sarek mused.

'I have never seen a Vulcan newborn with such light eyes,' Elder Spock agreed.

'He will be just like his father,' Spock almost sighed, earning amused looks from the other three.

T'Rin, who had so far remained silent a few steps behind Spock, said, 'It will be odd, if he keeps the eye colour, but quite interesting. I am curious as to why blue was the dominant eye colouring in the child's genetics, Spock.'

Spock glanced up at her and T'Rin tilted her head, still studying Jim and Spock's son. Her right hand was resting on the bump that showed her own children- Spock's half-siblings.

Jim hummed softly and then his thoughts drifted over Spock's mind; _She's thinking about her own kids. So much for “Vulcans don't have emotions”._

_You learned long ago that that was untrue, t'hy'la,_ Spock responded.

Jim threw him a wink and went back to looking at the baby. 'He still needs a name,' the captain said.

'You have not decided on one?' Sarek asked.

'No,' Spock said.

'Spock said you named him after one of Surak's grandsons?' Jim questioned.

'Indeed,' Sarek replied. 'Amanda expressed a liking for the name and I saw no logical reason to not use it.'

'I was named after my granddad,' Jim said. 'Maybe we should keep with tradition and use a family name.'

Sarek quickly and effortlessly listed all of Surak's grandsons; Se'Lrc, Starn, S'Relb, Spock, and Soren.

Jim could only pronounce two of the names without getting an adorable nose wrinkle from Spock- Spock didn't understand how his show of distaste could be considered adorable, but Jim had always been an illogical human.

They discussed a few more names, but Spock noted that Jim kept going back to Soren; he would glance at their son, eyes soft, and Spock shared a look with his older counterpart. Elder Spock smiled slightly and nodded.

'I believe that we should name him Soren,' Spock said.

Jim jumped slightly. 'Yeah?' he asked, eyes bright and a grin already spreading across his face.

Spock allowed his own lips to tilt up. 'Yes,' he said.

'Okay then,' Jim beamed. 'Soren Grayson Kirk.'

Spock's eyes widened and both Sarek and Elder Spock looked surprised, too. Jim glanced around at them all before huffing.

'What?' he said. 'I like it. And we humans usually have three names. Plus people always pronounce S'chn T'gai wrong, so I figured Kirk would be easier...' he trailed off when he saw Spock's face. 'Uh... that's okay, right?'

'Jim...' Spock said slowly, then had to breathe in deeply to keep his words steady, 'I believe that Soren Grayson Kirk is a logical name.'

_Thank you,_ he added silently.

_You're welcome_ , Jim responded.

'So on New Vulcan he can be S'chn T'gai Soren, right?' Jim asked aloud.

'Or S'chn T'gai Kirk Soren,' Elder Spock mused.

'Wow, what a mouthful,' Jim said, nose scrunching up. 'S'chn T'gai Soren is fine with me. Spock?'

'Indeed,' Spock said, earning a laugh from his bondmate. Spock's body chose that moment to remind him that he was exhausted, and that only 2.4 hours ago he had given birth to a child. He yawned and saw Jim looking at him with fondness, while Sarek and Elder Spock were already getting ready to leave.

'Sleep, my son,' Sarek said when Spock looked at him, 'we will converse tomorrow.'

'I shall return also,' Elder Spock said.

'And you can hold him,' Jim grinned at the old Vulcan.

Elder Spock bowed his head and he and T'Rin followed Sarek from the room.

Now that they were alone, Dr McCoy wandered over to join them. 'Okay, time for some rest,' he ordered gruffly. Usually Spock would argue just for the sake of arguing- though he denied that he did it every time Jim asked- but he _was_ tired, and he wanted to rest before Soren woke wanting to be fed.

He nodded and settled down without complaint, moving the pillows until he was comfortable. Jim slid from the bed to settle in his seat once more, Soren in the crook of his arm.

'I can stay here, yeah?' Jim asked McCoy.

The doctor snorted. 'Like I could pry you away from your hobgoblin,' he grumbled. 'Or your baby hobgoblin,' he added, glancing at Soren. 'Picked a name yet?'

'S'chn T'gai Soren for New Vulcan's records,' Jim told his best friend. 'On Earth he'll be Soren Grayson Kirk.'

McCoy nodded. 'Good; a name I can pronounce. I'll be writing it all the goddamn time when he gets older, I just know it.'

'Not if he takes after Spock,' Jim said.

'And if he finds his bondmate he'll act exactly like Spock and make my hair fall out,' McCoy complained.

Jim laughed and Spock smiled as his eyes slid shut. He had planned to say goodnight to Jim and Soren- to kiss them both before he let his body relax. But his mind had other ideas and was already pulling him under. He was asleep before Jim could tease the doctor further, and his dreams were filled with the future; of Jim and Soren playing Terran sports, and of Spock teaching Soren the stars.

The most prominent dream was of the three of them enjoying a picnic at night in Iowa, in one of the fields of Jim's childhood home. Jim would cook. Spock would map the stars for them. And Soren would laugh loudly, never restricted by his Vulcan heritage.

Spock's small, soft smile remained fixed to his face, even in his sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:** I wanted to write baby Jim/Spock so I did. And that's that.
> 
> {IBegToDreamAndDiffer}


	2. Chapter 2

Now, Scotty was used to weird things happening down in engineering; when you work on the _Enterprise_ , you get used to weird. That's not to mention the things Keenser got up to. But even after four years, Scotty still had a mild heart attack every time he looked up from his work to find a pair of startling blue eyes staring at him from behind a nest of thick, messy black hair.

Scotty bellowed out a few cusses as he landed on his ass, and the little quarter Vulcan grinned at him from where he was perched atop a box of parts.

'Hey, you aren't supposed to be up there, you damn elf!' Scotty scowled.

It was a term of endearment that Dr McCoy had started; now most of the crew referred to Soren Grayson Kirk as an elf. Soren seemed to like it, and Captain Kirk grinned at his bondmate every time Commander Spock sighed.

'Sorry, Mr Scott,' Soren said and slid down from the box, landing gracefully on his feet. The four-year-old had Commander Spock's grace but Captain Kirk's penchant for trouble; it made for a very quick-footed young child who often got into anything and everything he wasn't meant to.

'What are you doin' down here, lad?' Scotty asked as he want back to fixing the replicator. It only spat out coffee and small snacks for the engineers when they were working double shifts, but it was still very much needed. Most of the crewmen inhaled caffeine when working late.

'I was bored,' Soren told him, head tilted as he watched Scotty work. 'Sa-mekh is working in Science Lab 2 and Dad is working Beta shift on the bridge.'

'And who's supposed to be watchin' you?' Scotty asked.

Soren flashed him a grin. 'Nurse Chapel.'

Scotty sighed. Poor lass was probably tearing her hair out trying to find Soren. He was good at slipping away from his babysitters. And he'd already learned how to hack into the _Enterprise's_ computers to ensure that it couldn't pinpoint his location.

'You know not to go runnin' off by yourself, laddie,' Scotty said, waving a screwdriver at the Vulcan. Soren grinned. 'Don't give me that look, Mr Soren,' Scotty added.

Soren pouted and scuffed his booted foot against the floor. 'I was bored,' he murmured. 'Nurse Chapel is boring. I don't want to read picture books or play with toys.'

Scotty chuckled lightly at that. Damn boy was too smart for his own good. Which wasn't surprising, given who his fathers are. 'So you fancied yourself a look at the _Enterprise's_ engines?'

Soren nodded and stepped closer, footsteps barely making a sound. 'What are you doing?' he questioned.

Scotty quickly explained how the replicator had started mixing up some of the ingredients used for sandwiches and soup. Soren asked if it was the processor chip needing to be inspected and changed, and when Scotty showed the boy that he'd already swapped it out, Soren frowned. Then he sat on the floor beside the table Scotty was using and simply stared.

'Alright, lad?' Scotty asked after a few minutes of silence.

Soren tilted his head slightly before asking if he could take a look. When Scotty nodded, Soren let himself be picked up so that he was standing on Scotty's seat. Scotty watched as the lad ducked his head and pushed his little fingers into the replicator's innards. He started tinkering away and Scotty smiled. He trusted the lad not to hurt himself, so went to the replicator that had been brought in while the broken was being fixed. The engineer made himself a cup of coffee and had only just swallowed his first mouthful when Commander Spock entered the break room.

'Soren.'

He didn't yell. Scotty had only heard him yell once, and that was when Commander Spock had chased Khan down to exact his revenge; the footage had played on the news for weeks before Starfleet could stop it. Instead Commander Spock simply came to a stop beside his son and clasped his hands behind his back.

Soren had frozen at the sound of his sa-mekh's voice. Now he slowly slid his hands from the replicator, shuffled on the seat, and faced the older Vulcan.

'Sa-mekh,' he murmured.

Commander Spock said, 'You were supposed to stay in medbay with Nurse Chapel until your father arrived to collect you at 1905.'

'Yes,' Soren agreed, 'but-'

'Sa-fu,' Spock interrupted. Soren glanced up at him and Scotty saw Commander Spock raise an eyebrow. Soren wilted slightly under the expression and then murmured something in Vulcan, which made Spock tilt his head. 'Punar-tor,' he responded before holding a hand out.

Soren sighed but let his sa-mekh help him off of the chair.

'Soren, your father and I must know where you are at all times,' Commander Spock stated. 'And if we don't, we must know that you are in the care of someone we trust. Is that understood?'

'Yes, Sa-mekh,' Soren mumbled.

'You will cease running away from the people your father and I trust your care to.'

'Yes, Sa-mekh.'

'Soren.'

Soren bobbed his head once, and Scotty saw a faint flush of green spread across his cheeks.

Commander Spock exhaled sharply through his nose. 'You are too much like your father,' he commented more than complained. Scotty heard the faint amusement underlying his words and smiled into his coffee.

'That's what Sa'mekh'al Selek always says,' Soren said.

Spock's lips twitched. 'And Sa'mekh'al Sarek?' he questioned.

Soren grinned. 'He agrees.'

'I see,' was all Spock said. He then turned to Scotty. 'I apologise for Soren's interruption, Mr Scott.'

'The lad was no trouble, sir,' Scotty replied. 'He's just curious, is all.'

'Indeed,' Spock said, 'and that is the problem.'

Scotty grinned. Captain Kirk had a habit of being _curious_ about things, and then usually landed himself in a whole heap of trouble. It wasn't surprising that he and Mr Spock were worried about Soren. Scotty still remembered the time Soren had found his way into the medbay's ventilation system. Lad had only been one.

'Are you going to tell Dad that I was bad?' Soren asked.

Commander Spock glanced down at his son. 'Yes,' he stated.

'But why?' Soren said. 'Please don't tell him, Sa-mekh, I promise not to do it again!'

'That is what you said last time,' Spock said.

Soren pouted.

Spock held his hand out and Soren took it again. 'Apologise to Mr Scott,' Spock ordered.

'I'm sorry for interrupting, Mr Scott,' Soren said, looking up at the engineer. 'I promise to only come down when you say I can.' Commander Spock cleared his throat lightly. 'And when Dad and Sa-mekh say that I'm allowed,' Soren added.

'Aye, no problem, elf,' Scotty said with a smile.

Soren giggled into his free hand and Spock raised an eyebrow at them both. 'Come along,' he said to Soren and started leading him towards the door.

'Sa-mekh, wait!' Soren gasped. Spock paused and tilted his head as his son raced back to the broken replicator. Soren grabbed Scotty's PADD and quickly typed something out before setting it back down. He then walked back to Commander Spock and said, 'Ready.'

He waved wildly at Scotty as his sa-mekh led him from the room and Scotty waved back, smiling. He liked the lad- the entire crew did- and it was always a pleasure having him down in the engines of the _Enterprise_.

Scotty finished his coffee before going to take another crack at the replicator. He'd been working for less than a minute when he realised that the touch screen had been pulled out. Frowning, Scotty glanced at his PADD, wondering if the lad had written down just why he'd done it.

Scotty laughed when he read Soren's note;

  
  


_Mr Scott, the touch screen is broken. A simple replacement is needed and then the replicator will work perfectly. Have a nice day – Soren Grayson Kirk_

  
  


Scotty chuckled again and opened up a new message. The Quartermaster was in charge of all equipment on-board the _Enterprise_ , and it would only take a few hours for the woman to get a replacement part sent down from storage.

With that done, Scotty sent a message to Soren;

  
  


_Thanks, laddie – LtCdr M. Scott_

  
  


Seconds later he received a reply;

  
  


_You are welcome, Mr Scott – Soren Grayson Kirk_

  
  


With an amused smile, Scotty left the replicator where it was and when hunting for Keenser; he was sure that there was something else that needed fixing before his shift started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sa-mekh** – father
> 
>  **Sa-fu** – son
> 
>  **Punar-tor** – accepted
> 
>  **Sa'mekh'al** – grandfather
> 
>  
> 
>  **Author's Note:** Eh, I dunno. I just had the image of Soren and Scotty tinkering on stuff together, so I wrote a drabble. I'm not sure if I'll write more set in this 'verse. If I do I'll post it here. Actually, if you have any prompts for this 'verse, feel free to share them; I like working on small, random stuff while I'm trying to figure out my bigger stories.
> 
> {Dreamer}


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** How about Soren's first day with other children? Or him meeting his t'hy'la as a teen?
> 
> **From: Ishtar205** on AO3

Soren Grayson Kirk was six-years-old and, for the first time in his life, he was going to spend the entire day with other children. Soren had met children before, of course. There were a few younger children who lived with him on the  _ Enterprise _ . Ensign Matthews and Lieutenant Paver had a three-year-old daughter named Millie who Soren was allowed to teach little kid games to. But she was too small to play a lot so, for the most part, Soren spent his time with adults; his fathers and his many aunts and uncles and the crew.

Sa-mekh had explained that the  _ Enterprise  _ needed upgrades and, as the first five-year mission had been completed with excellent results, the crew was going to spend an entire year, perhaps more, on Earth. Sa-mekh wanted to travel to New Vulcan in a few months and show Soren the Vulcan Science Academy. Until then, Soren would finally be attending what Americans called “Elementary School”.

Soren... wasn't sure how to feel. His dads and Aunt Nyota and Uncle Bones and Mr Scott made sure that Soren learned what he had to learn to graduate school and one day perhaps join Starfleet or the VSA. Soren had been told that he was too young to know what he wanted to do with his life, but he'd already decided; he wanted to learn new languages and travel and teach little kids who couldn't afford to travel themselves. He was fluent in Standard English and Vulcan, and Aunt Nyota was teaching him Romulan and Klingon. She said Soren was good with languages and accents. It made Soren's chest swell with pride every time.

Dad had explained that Soren's age meant that he should be starting First Grade, but the private school he was going to attend had sent a bunch of tests for him to take and they'd decided that he was “gifted” and had placed him in Third Grade. That meant that his classmates would be eight or nine, and Soren was worried that they'd tease him because he was younger. Sa-mekh had told him that if he felt uncomfortable he could quit and come home, but Soren wanted to go. He wanted to be like Dad, who'd attended Earth school when he was a kid. Soren would at least try.

Also... Soren wanted friends. Mr Scott and Mr Chekov and Mr Sulu were his friends, but they were grown-ups. They worried about adult stuff and didn't want to play sehlats or dragons or pretend that they were flying away from angry Klingons trying to blow up the  _ Enterprise _ . Soren hoped that his classmates wanted to play.

Soren had to wear a uniform and he eyed himself critically in the mirror in his fathers' room. The mirror was as big as Dad and Sa-mekh and Soren turned slowly to look at himself from every angle. His shorts were stiff and grey, his shirt a light green with a matching darker green jacket. His shoes were hard and made of fake leather; the other kids would be wearing real leather, but Soren was a vegetarian and didn't like the thought of wearing animals on his feet. Luckily Sa-mekh had found an alternative for him.

Soren hummed to himself and pushed his bangs from his eyes. His hair was too long and kept sticking up everywhere or falling in his face, covering his pointed ears. Soren wondered if there'd be other aliens at school, or if they'd all be human. Would they tease him for being different?

'Soren?'

Soren jumped and turned to see Sa-mekh standing in the doorway. Since returning to Earth, Sa-mekh had started wearing Vulcan clothing; robes with stiff collars or jackets, clothing that reminded Soren of Sa'mekh'al Selek and Sa'mekh'al Sarek. Soren missed them.

'Are you well?' Spock asked and entered the room, coming to stand beside Soren. He was very tall, and Soren wondered if he'd be that tall one day. Dad and Selek and Sarek were all tall, too.

'Yes, Sa-mekh,' Soren said and looked back at the mirror. He wasn't used to wearing shorts. He usually wore cotton pants and shirts, or jeans and brightly coloured t-shirts that Dad ordered over the 'net for him or had replicated.

'Are you sure?' Spock asked and Soren nodded. 'If you feel uncomfortable at all today, do not hesitate to call your father or myself,' Spock added.

'I know, Sa-mekh,' Soren said. 'I have my communicator and I'll call if I want.'

'Good,' Sa-mekh said. He bent down to brush his fingers through Soren's hair, and Soren giggled when Sa-mekh pulled his fringe up. It made him look like Dad, only Soren's hair was black like Sa-mekh's. Sa-mekh's hair was always perfectly straight unless Dad messed it up. Dad liked messing it up, and he and Soren always giggled when Sa-mekh scowled at them.

'Are you ready?' Sa-mekh asked, and Soren nodded, took one last look at his reflection, and allowed Sa-mekh to lead him from the room. Dad was waiting in the living room, sprawled out over the large, comfy couch. He was wearing his black instructor's uniform, which Dad had spent hours wearing the day before; he kept saying it was comfier than his dress uniform. Sa-mekh seemed to like it, 'cause he'd blushed a whole lot whenever Dad walked past him wearing it.

Soren heard his sa-mekh huff slightly under his breath, and Dad heard it, too, because he tilted his head up and grinned brightly.

'Look at you, little man,' Jim beamed.

Soren smiled shyly and spread his arms, twirling to show his dad his new uniform.

'I'm kinda glad we decided on a private school,' Jim said. 'I'm not sure you own enough clothing for every day of the week.'

'That is your fault,' Spock said.

'What?' Jim spluttered, making Soren snicker. 'How?' he demanded.

'You insist on letting Soren wear casual clothing when you work together in engineering,' Sa-mekh said. 'If you would simply buy him appropriate clothing, or replicate a uniform, he would not destroy so many t-shirts and pants.'

Jim poked his tongue out and Soren giggled again. Sa-mekh scowled at both of them and Soren and Jim both said, 'Sorry,' at the same time. Spock sighed softly but his lips were twitching upward, so Soren knew that they weren't really in trouble.

'Can I have a uniform when we go back home?' Soren asked. 'I want a red shirt and a gold shirt and-'

'Yeah, yeah, kiddo,' Jim interrupted with a smile, 'we'll get you your own little uniform.'

'Not  _ little _ ,' Soren huffed, crossing his arms. 'I'm almost  _ eight _ , Dad.'

'You just turned six,' Spock said from where he was pulling on his Vulcan jacket, the collar zipping all the way up to his neck, 'so you are, in fact,  _ almost seven _ .'

Soren rolled his eyes and Dad winked at him and reached up to ruffle his hair.

' _ Daad _ ,' Soren whined, because Sa-mekh had  _ just  _ finished making his hair nice and now it was messy- Dad had  _ ruined  _ it!

'Sorry, sorry,' Dad chuckled. 'Come here.'

Soren let himself be pulled forward and grumbled a bit as Dad brushed his hair with his fingers. Soren didn't like combs; they felt funny on his scalp, so Dad and Sa-mekh always used their fingers. It was why Soren's hair was always messy. Well, that and genetics. Sometimes Dad called him Harry Potter, which Soren didn't really understand because his fathers claimed that he was too young to read the old Terran novels.

He was  _ almost eight _ , no matter what his sa-mekh said.

'Come on, short stuff,' Dad said when he was done, patting Soren on the back. 'Ready for your first day?'

'Yeah!' Soren cheered, and Jim smiled at him as he and Spock ushered Soren from the apartment and into the car Starfleet had given them for their shore leave.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


San Francisco was big and bright and always a bit cloudy. Soren found it fascinating; it was so very different from all the planets he'd visited with his parents and the crew of the  _ Enterprise _ . Soren would never admit it, but New Vulcan's skyline was his favourite. He liked the warm orange sky and thick, warm sand beneath his feet. He liked Sa'mekh'al Selek's small mud house and Sa'mekh'al Sarek's big concrete house. He knew that Sa-mekh and Dad liked New Vulcan, too, but Dad was from Earth and it'd always be home. Soren thought of the  _ Enterprise  _ as home.

There was a lot of traffic but they reached Soren's new school with plenty of time to spare- at least that's what Dad said, while Sa-mekh murmured about Dad always being late to everything and Soren peered out the tinted windows at the big buildings and grounds that were surrounded by a large iron fence.

The T riskele School seemed okay, and there were kids everywhere; some younger than Soren, some much older. Soren saw a few who had to at least be teenagers, and thought that he probably should have paid more attention when Dad and Sa-mekh had spoken to him about the school.

Jim parked the car in the private parking area and Soren saw men dressed in dark blue uniforms checking all the cars that pulled in. 'Who are they?' he asked, leaning over Spock's seat.

'Security guards,' Spock said. 'Almost all of the children attending this school come from wealthy families.'

Soren frowned. 'Are we wealthy?'

Jim snorted, and Spock said, 'We are.'

'Your sa-mekh's family is wealthy,' Dad corrected. 'He's from the House of Surak.'

'The Vulcan who made our people logical and better,' Soren piped in, earning nods from both his fathers. He smiled, pleased that he'd remembered that.

'Your father is also fairly wealthy,' Spock said as Jim turned the car off. 'He has been published in many journals and awarded many medals that come with cash prizes.'

'Your family's, like, Vulcan  _ royalty _ ,' Jim huffed.

'Really?' Soren asked, eyes wide. He started bouncing on his seat, pulling against his seatbelt. 'Am I a prince, Sa-mekh?'

'No, Soren,' Sa-mekh said, making Soren pout. 'We simply come from an influential family.'

Dad turned around in his seat to smile at Soren. 'Sa-mekh's the heir to the House of Surak and so are you, little man. Do you know how many Vulcan families want to bond you to their little girls when you turn seven?'

Soren wrinkled his nose at the thought. He knew why Vulcan children were bonded, but his fathers had promised that he wouldn't be. While Soren was a touch-telepath like his father, he wasn't powerful enough to need an anchor; Sa-mekh, Dad, and his grandfathers were enough for his mind to develop healthily. Plus, Soren wanted to find his t'hy'la. He knew that, statistically, his odds weren't good; it was rare for a full-blooded Vulcan to find his t'hy'la, let alone a quarter-Vulcan. But Spock had found his t'hy'la, and Soren was sure that he'd find  _ his _ , too.

'Come along, Soren,' Spock said, and Soren realised that his dads had climbed out of the car and were waiting for him.

Soren quickly scrambled from the back seat and reached back in for his backpack. It was big and had pictures of dragons on it and held Soren's lunch, his communicator, his PADD, and even some pens and notebooks. Like his Dad, Soren liked drawing on paper. It was fun and he liked watching the ink bleed through the thin white sheets.

'Do you have everything?' Spock asked, and Soren nodded.

'Come on, kiddo,' Jim said. He wrapped an arm around Soren's shoulders and pulled him forward, leading the family of three through a small set of gates and up a neat garden path.

There were children screaming and laughing and adults walking around looking important. Soren craned his head every which way, trying to remember where everything was from the short tour he, Sa-mekh and Dad had taken a few weeks earlier. He really,  _ really  _ should have paid attention. Soren had an excellent memory when he actually focused, but as Sa-mekh always said, he was just like his dad.

Luckily Dad seemed to know where he was going, and Sa-mekh, too, because he pointed at a small building and they walked through the sliding glass door into an air-conditioned room. Soren shivered and pulled his jacket tighter around his body. Soren was only a quarter-Vulcan, but his biology was almost exactly like his sa-mekh's; he didn't do well in cold environments.

'You should have worn a thermal undershirt,' Sa-mekh frowned.

'I packed one in his backpack, and the teachers know,' Dad said, turning to face them. 'Wanna go get changed, Soren?'

'Um...' Soren chewed on his lip, and then shivered again. Finally, he nodded; he didn't want to get sick.

His dad took him to the bathroom and Soren pulled his uniform off to slip into the black thermal shirt that his parents had bought him a year ago. When they were done, Jim led Soren back to Spock, and Soren spotted him talking to a short lady wearing a nice suit, her red hair tied back in a neat ponytail.

'Jim, Soren, this is Mrs Komeda, one of the Third Grade teachers,' Spock said. He glanced back at Mrs Komeda. 'This is my husband, James Kirk, and our son, Soren Grayson Kirk.'

'It's a pleasure to meet you,' Mrs Komeda said. She shook Jim's hand and saluted Soren with the ta'al, which made Soren grin and return it. He didn't like being touched by strangers, so he liked the teacher already. 'I understand that this is Soren's first year attending school?' Mrs Komeda asked Soren's parents.

'Yeah,' Jim said, 'he's spent his entire life in space. We home-school him.'

'Well, his test results were truly impressive, Mr Kirk, Mr Grayson,' she said, and Dad smiled proudly while Sa-mekh inclined his head. 'I'm sure with a few days to adjust Soren will fit in perfectly at Triskele.'

'I hope so,' Jim said.

'Would you like to visit Soren's classroom?' Mrs Komeda asked. 'School starts in twenty minutes. The older years have a school assembly, but we prefer to get the younger ones settled into their classroom.'

Soren frowned- he wasn't a  _ young one _ \- but Dad and Sa-mekh nodded, so Soren had no choice but to follow his parents and teacher.

They chatted about grown up stuff that Soren barely paid attention to; he only had to answer a few questions about his favourite subjects and what hobbies he had. Mrs Komeda seemed surprised when Soren said that he was learning to speak Romulan and Klingon, and that he liked taking computers apart and re-building them so that they'd work better. But she kept smiling, so Soren figured that she still liked him.

The school was clean and still slightly chilly, but Soren felt okay now. He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets as he walked, head twisting this way and that as he took in the artwork on the pale green walls. The floors were made of wood and his footsteps echoed, making Soren grin and step harder than he had to, just to hear the sound. The  _ Enterprise  _ was made of metal, and Soren had grown up to the  _ clang-clang-clang  _ of rushed footsteps as people ran all over the place. He missed the  _ Enterprise _ .

Mrs Komeda finally led them to a long hallway with doors on either side. Soren craned his head and saw plaques beside each door labelling what the classroom was for; Grade One, Grade Two, Grade Three, etc. There seemed to be three or so classes for each grade, and Soren's was the sixth door down on the right.

'This is Grade Three, Class Two,' Mrs Komeda said as she led them inside. The room was large and filled with desks, plastic chairs, and cubbyholes where, according to Mrs Komeda, the students kept their stuff. Soren wanted to explore but his sa-mekh placed a hand on his shoulder, as always well aware of Soren's overwhelming need to poke his nose into everything.

Soren pouted but remained still as Mrs Komeda explained the Third Grade's schedule, and Dad and Sa-mekh talked about Soren's special needs; he was a vegetarian, he was allergic to most types of flowers like his Dad, and he wasn't to be touched due to his touch-telepathy. He also didn't need nap time, only twenty minutes to meditate.

Mrs Komeda smiled and nodded and said that school ended at 2:30pm, which was when Soren was allowed to go home. Suddenly it was time for class to start, and Soren felt his heart skip a beat. His earlier curiosity fled him as he realised that, for the first time in his life, his Dad and Sa-mekh wouldn't be just a comm-call away. Dad would be at Starfleet Academy teaching tactics classes and Sa-mekh would be guest lecturing at the University of California, San Francisco. They wouldn't just be a few floors away...

'Are you okay, Soren?' Jim asked, getting to his knees to look his son in the eye. Spock bent at the waist beside him, brown eyes meeting Soren's blue.

Soren bit his lip and mumbled, 'I just realised that you're gonna be gone.'

'Hey, little man, we're just a comm-call away,' Jim said. 'You call and we'll drop everything to come get you, okay?'

'But... but I'm a big boy now,' Soren said. 'I should be-'

'Hey, no,' Jim interrupted, squeezing Soren's shoulder. 'This is your first day at school. Living on-planet is different to living on a ship, Soren, we get that.'

'It will take some adjustment,' Spock added, 'and if you need more time, please tell us.'

Soren glanced between his parents, and then at Mrs Komeda, who was smiling, her face a mask of understanding. Soren took a deep breath and said, 'No, I'll be fine.'

'Are you sure?' Jim asked. Soren nodded. 'Okay, buddy. Just give us a call if you need us, okay?'

Soren nodded again and let Dad kiss his temple and hug him goodbye. Spock hugged him, too, and Soren realised that his fathers were gonna miss him a lot, because Spock rarely hugged Dad or Soren in public.

'Bye, Dad. Bye, Sa-mekh!' Soren called. Dad waved and Sa-mekh nodded, and Soren watched them exit the room and disappear down the hallway.

'Why don't you come and meet the other children, Soren?' Mrs Komeda said gently. 'We'll put your things away first.'

Soren nodded and Mrs Komeda showed him the cubby with his name on it;  _ Soren Grayson Kirk _ . Soren smiled because he liked his full name; he'd been named after one of Surak's grandsons  _ and  _ his late grandmother. Soren put his stuff away but was told to take his PADD to his desk, which also had his name written on a little sticky note. Soren sat down and watched as other children filled the room. Most of them were taller than him and Soren hunched his shoulders a bit, staring at his desk as children chattered to each other and laughed.

Soren didn't look up until someone sat beside him. 'Hello.'

She was human and taller than Soren, with hair blonder than Dad's and eyes the colour of mint. Soren wasn't allowed to have mint, but sometimes Dad snuck him a tiny bit mixed with chocolate.

'Hello,' Soren said.

'Are you a Vulcan?' the girl asked, and Soren nodded. 'I thought so, my Daddy taught a Vulcan once,' the girl said. She held up her hand and frowned as she pushed some of her fingers together, and it took Soren a minute to realise that she was trying to preform the Ta'al.

'No, it's like this,' Soren said and showed her.

'Oh,' the girl said and grinned when she got it right. 'Cool! I'm Jay'ma, what's your name?'

'Soren Grayson Kirk,' he said, which made Jay'ma giggle.

'That's a long name,' she said. 'My full name's Jay'ma Reilly-Patterson, because when Daddy and Papa got married they, um... hyphanerted their name.'

'Hyphenated,' Soren corrected and tilted his head. 'You have two dads?' Jay'ma nodded, and Soren said, 'Me, too.'

'Really?' Jay'ma asked. 'That's awesome, 'cause last year a girl teased me 'cause I didn't have a mom, but I told her that two daddies was just the same.'

'She teased you?' Soren frowned. Why would anybody do that? Spock had warned him that some children could be mean, but Soren hadn't really believed him... Soren had never met any mean people.

'Yeah,' Jay'ma nodded. 'But she's in Class One now, so it doesn't matter. Hey, wanna meet Toreth? She's half-Romulan and her daddy defected 'cause he's like Vulcans, he doesn't like hurting people.'

'Okay,' Soren agreed and followed Jay'ma as she stood and led the way towards a group of three children. They were taller than Soren, too, but they smiled at him. There were two girls and one boy, and the boy was an Orion while one of the girls had thick black hair like Soren and pointed ears. Her bangs only just covered her eyebrows, but Soren could see that they were slanted.

'This is Soren and he has two daddies like me,' Jay'ma announced.

'You're weird,' the Orion boy told Jay'ma but waved at Soren. 'I'm Lindsey.'

'I'm Toreth,' the half-Romulan said, grinning brightly at Soren. 'Can you speak Vulcan?'

'I speak Vulcan fluently,' Soren said, earning wide-eyes from everyone but Toreth.

'I speak Romulan and Sa-mekh said that it's similar to Vulcan,' Toreth said. 'Maybe we could teach each other?'

Soren smiled and nodded, because he only new a few Romulan words. The language was just a bit different to Vulcan.

'I'm Mai,' the final girl said, 'can you teach me Vulcan?'

'Um... yes?' Soren tried.

'Yay!' Mai cheered. Lindsey laughed and Jay'ma giggled and Toreth rolled her eyes. Soren smiled. School didn't seem so bad.

'Come and sit,' Toreth said and patted the spot on the floor between her and Lindsey.

'But what about class?' Soren asked.

'We're always allowed an hour when we first get here to get to know each other,' Mai explained. 'Is this your first time at school or somethin'?'

'I live on a space ship,' Soren said, which earned him more wide-eyes and gasps.

'A space ship?' Lindsey breathed.

'Yeah,' Soren nodded. 'I live on the  _ Enterprise _ . My dad's the Captain and my sa-mekh's the First Officer.

Lindsey's eyes bugged and he practically shrieked, 'You're dad's James T. Kirk?!'

Soren and Toreth both winced, their hearing more sensitive than Jay'ma's and Mai's.

'Your sa-mekh's S'chn T'gai Spock?' Toreth asked.

Soren nodded. 'In English his name's Spock Grayson, because humans can't pronounce our family name properly. Sometimes Dad messes it up, too.'

'Wow,' Toreth breathed. 'My sa-mekh says that Mr Spock's really smart.'

After that, Soren was ordered to detail what it was like living on a space ship and what aliens and adventures he'd seen and had. Soren did as he was told, enjoying the looks of envy and joy on his new friends' faces.

Soren liked school.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


Jim was fidgeting, and Spock finally sighed audibly and reached over the clasp the blonde's hands. 'Jim, please stop.'

'What if he's hurt or scared or-'

'He would have called,' Spock interrupted. 'If he were truly in danger we would have felt it, ashaya.'

'He might not have called!' Jim shot back. 'He's too much like us, Spock! All stoic and pretending that he's fine when really he isn't!'

'Soren knows better than to hide any anxiety from us, Jim,' Spock stated calmly. 'He would have called if he was having difficulties. If he was, the school would have at least called. Please calm yourself.'

Jim grumbled under his breath but went mostly silent. He and Spock were sitting in the car waiting for the clock to tick over to 2:30pm. Spock's last lecture had been at midday, Jim's at one, and they'd met up for lunch before driving over to the Triskele School.

Jim swore that time had slowed down or just stopped all together, and only Spock's scowl kept him from leaping out of the car and rushing through the school to find his baby boy.

He couldn't believe how quickly Soren was growing. He'd only just turned six and already he was in Third Grade! He'd hopefully graduate before the  _ Enterprise  _ shipped out again, and by the time they returned to Earth Soren would be twelve.

Sometimes Jim wondered if he and Spock were doing the right thing. There were other kids on the ship, but Soren was essentially the only kid his age. He was fine now, but what about when he hit puberty? What about when he wanted friends he could see every day and a real house and a girlfriend or boyfriend? Selek and Sarek had both agreed to take Soren in if he wanted a life on-planet. Even Jim's mom, now retired, had said that she'd be happy to watch him while Jim and Spock were in space. But Jim couldn't bare the thought of not seeing his baby boy for five years. He'd most likely retire if Soren wanted a break from the stars.

'Jim?'

Jim shook his head and pushed his thoughts away. 'Yeah?' he asked, turning to his bondmate.

'I can feel your anxiety,' Spock said. 'What are you thinking about?'

Sighing, Jim said, 'Soren growing up.'

Spock smiled softly and once more reached out for Jim's hands. Only this time and squeezed gently instead of stopping Jim from fidgeting. 'Soren is only six, Jim. We both know that he is in no hurry to grow up. And, when he does, we will decide what is best for him together, as a family.'

Jim nodded. 'Yeah,' he repeated, than laughed, 'yeah, you're right. Gods, I'm an idiot sometimes.'

Spock's lips twitched. 'Indeed.'

'Hey!' Jim snapped, but he was grinning, and he could feel Spock's amusement trickling across their bond. Stupid sexy bastard.

Jim kinda fell into just staring at Spock's profile, the dark brown in his hair highlighted by the sun shining through the windows. One of Spock's eyebrows twitched upward and Jim grinned.

Before Jim could say anything- or make Spock blush, because he  _ loved  _ making Spock blush- the alarm on Jim's comm went off, signalling that it was  _ finally  _ 2:30.

'Oh, thank God!' Jim shouted and leapt from the car. He heard Spock sigh but ignored him as he quickly walked up to the school, Spock easily keeping up behind him. It took way too long to get to Soren's classroom, and it  _ so  _ wasn't Jim's fault, despite getting himself lost. Spock had quickly found the room, though, and they were met with a gaggle of kids all being herded from the room by their parents.

Soren was one of the last to leave, and when he reached Jim and Spock he was talking to a little girl who looked Vulcan.

'Soren,' Jim said.

Soren beamed up at him. 'Hi, Dad, Sa-mekh!' Jim leaned down to hug his son tightly, and Soren grumbled and huffed but hugged him back. Spock simply nodded. 'Dad, Sa-mekh, this is Toreth,' Soren said, introducing the little girl.

The girl saulted with the Ta'al first, and then gave them the Romulan salute, making Jim's eyebrows shoot up.

'You are Romulan,' Spock stated.

'My sa-mekh is Romulan and my mother is human,' Toreth told them, 'but Sa-mekh chose to follow the Vulcan Surak's teachings when he left Romulus.'

'Fascinating,' Spock mused and Jim rolled his eyes. Now was  _ not  _ the time for his husband to question a little girl on her father.

'It's time to go, Soren, say goodbye to your friend,' Jim said.

Soren pouted but gave Toreth the Ta'al, and Toreth saluted in response, her little fist clutched to her chest. Both kids were grinning, and Jim was glad to see it.

'How was your day, kiddo?' Jim asked as he, Spock and Soren left the school.

'It was  _ great _ !' Soren exploded. He then went into  _ great  _ detail about all the things he'd learned and the people he'd met and apparently Toreth was  _ so cool  _ because she meditated, too. Jim gaped while Spock's eyebrows climbed, but Soren didn't seem to care. He just chattered all the way back to the apartment, barely stopping when Spock told him to go put his things away and get changed.

When Soren finally stopped talking, rushing to his room to put some casual clothes on, Jim looked at his bondmate.

'So,' Jim said, 'Soren loves school.'

'Indeed,' Spock said. 'It seems that he has an easier time adjusting than either of us.'

Jim smiled softly and sat on the edge of the couch, Spock's eyes still on him. 'I had to put up with teachers pitying me because of my dad and kids wanting to hear stories of my hero father. You had a bunch of snotty Vulcan brats bullying you about your mom.'

Spock nodded slowly. Neither he or Jim had had easy childhoods. Spock, at least, had had two parents who had loved and cared for him, even if Sarek had never openly showed his affection. Jim had lost his father the day he was born, and his mother had escaped to the stars as soon as Jim could be left on his own.

Soren had a large extended family who worked diligently to make him happy. He had inherited the best of Spock and Jim; Spock's analytical mind, Jim's charisma and curiosity, Spock's ability to stay calm no matter what and Jim's ability to charm those around him into loving him.

'Soren will do well,' Spock decided.

'He's already got friends,' Jim said, awe in his voice as he flopped further back onto the sofa. 'I never really had friends.'

'Me either,' Spock agreed.

Soren chose that moment to rush back in, now talking about Lindsey, an Orion boy who could draw really well. He liked dragons, too, and Soren kept speaking about his new friends, only pausing briefly to ask his fathers if he could make his own snack.

'Maybe we should pull him out,' Jim mused.

'Why?' Spock questioned.

'He's never gonna shut up, Spock,' Jim said. 'You think  _ I  _ talk a lot? Look at your son!'

'He is clearly  _ your  _ son,' Spock said, amusement colouring his tone. 'I rarely speak unless necessary.'

'Yeah, right,' Jim snorted. 'You talk  _ all the time,  _ you dirty-'

'Jim!' Spock snapped, making Jim grin and poke his tongue out. A delicate green blush was working across Spock's cheeks, and it only got darker the longer Jim sent filthy images across their bond.

'Dad, Sa-mekh?' Soren called suddenly, and both Jim and Spock glanced up. Soren had managed to make himself a snack, which he was allowed to do as long as it didn't involve knives or liquids. Soren wasn't too good at pouring himself a drink without practically bathing himself in it.

'Yeah, Soren?' Jim asked.

'My friend Jay'ma has two daddies and she also has two brothers and she asked if  _ I  _ had any siblings but I said no and she asked why and I said I dunno so why don't I have any siblings?' Soren demanded in one long rush.

Jim spluttered and beside him Spock  _ actually  _ gaped.

'Uh...' Jim said.

'You see, Soren,' Spock began, but then cleared his throat and just... stopped.

'We, well,' Jim scratched at his head, 'ya know how your sa-mekh carried you, Soren?'

' _ Yeah _ ,' Soren said, the “duh” implied but not stated. 'Sa-mekh's a Carrier and he said when I go through puberty I might be a Carrier, too, which means I could have babies if my t'hy'la's a boy.'

Jim nodded slowly. 'Right,' he said, 'well, you see, kiddo, you weren't exactly... planned.'

Soren frowned. 'What?'

'Sometimes couples plan on having children and actively try to fall pregnant,' Spock said slowly. 'Your father and I weren't actively trying for children, but when we discovered that we were having you we were happy.'

Soren stared at them. ''kay...' he said slowly, 'what's that got to do with me having siblings?'

Jim snorted a laugh and had to cover his mouth, ignoring the annoyance that flashed across their bond from Spock.

'We currently aren't trying to have more children, Soren,' Spock stated. 'Perhaps we will when you're older.'

'But why not  _ now _ ?' Soren demanded.

'Because,' Jim said.

'Because why?' Soren asked.

'Because... go to your room, that's why!' Jim stated.

'Jim,' Spock scowled.

'But I didn't do anything!' Soren cried.

Jim groaned and buried his face in his hands. He'd been wrong. School was the very worst thing to happen to Soren.

'Why can't you make me a sibling?' Soren demanded.

The  _ very  _ worst thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:** I sorta managed to get the “first day” bit, but I'm not too sure who I wanna make Soren's t'hy'la yet. He's gonna have one 'cause it'll be adorable. Whether it'll be a guy or girl, a Vulcan or a human, I have no idea yet.
> 
> Thanks for all the prompts, guys, I love them and am planning on writing them all, promise!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> {Dreamer}


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** ...Bet Jim is secretly congratulating Soren on a nice evasion of Chapel...
> 
> **From: Mindcraft Guardiansaiyan** on FF.Net

Soren was a very bright and intelligent young boy. He was charming, he was thoughtful, and he was polite. He greeted the entire crew by their surnames, always with their rank or the correct title. He was quick to apologise when he was in the wrong, and though he had his fair share of time outs due to his behaviour or refusal to stop playing when his parents wanted him to sleep, Soren was, generally, a really sweet kid.

He was also Jim Kirk's son. And the crew knew that their Captain had a penchant for trouble, even when he wasn't actively looking for it. Jim Kirk could turn a routine science mission into a fight to the death. It happened often enough that Commander Spock either accompanied the Captain on the away missions he insisted on going on, or he sent two security officers to watch the Captain specifically.

Soren had inherited his human father's love for adventure, and his ability to cause mayhem and trouble wherever he went. It was why Soren was minded constantly. Captain Kirk and Commander Spock tried to be around whenever possible, but as the Captain and First Officer, their shifts usually overlapped, leading to one of the crew watching over a young Soren Grayson Kirk. Sometimes it was one of the bridge crew; Sulu or Chekov, even Uhura and McCoy. But most of the time they were working, too, so a yeoman or one of the scientists in Spock's department watched Soren.

And, when  _ they  _ were busy, it was up to the doctors and nurses working in medbay to watch Soren. Because who better to watch a hyperactive quarter-Vulcan child than people trained to save other people's lives?

That was what Christine Chapel and Carol Marcus often told themselves when faced with Soren's guilty expression and whatever mayhem he'd caused. McCoy laughed at them. Constantly. He knew better than to trust that sweet face. He'd known Jim longer than any of them, after all. He knew what a Kirk was capable of.

Currently Christine was trying to  _ find  _ Soren. No, she had not lost him. Soren, as he often did, had escaped. He liked computers like his sa-mekh, and he liked  _ hacking  _ computers like his father. All you had to do was turn your back for a  _ second _ and Soren was gone, feeding the computer his own algorithm to make pinpointing his location impossible. Christine couldn't even remember the amount of times she'd lost Soren over the past four years. As soon as the boy had learned to walk he'd been off, either wanting his parents or just wanting to explore. She was certain that Soren knew the  _ Enterprise  _ better than Captain Kirk and Lieutenant-Commander Scott.

Christine knew that Soren's other babysitters-  _ minders _ , as Soren called them- had this problem. Only Mr Scott and Dr McCoy knew how to wrangle the young boy, and that was only because McCoy was scary and Mr Scott let Soren take things apart. Christine was currently topping the list of “Babysitters Soren Has Successfully Evaded”, with Carol coming in a close second. Christine kind of hoped that, one day, Soren fell in love with a beautiful woman who managed to infuriate  _ him  _ this much. Karma.

Christine had checked the Captain and First Officer's quarters, followed by Soren's, and then Dr McCoy's. Sometimes Soren just missed his parents and his godfather; she'd often found him curled up on his fathers' bed, wrapped around one of their pillows with a frown on his face. He was a Vulcan despite his mostly human heritage, and Christine knew that he felt the seperation more than any human child would. It was why Spock sometimes took an entire day off every three weeks to just meditate with Soren. Captain Kirk did, too.

When there was no trace of Soren in the rooms, Christine comm'd Carol, Mr Scott and Mr Sulu while she continued her search; the canteen, the science labs, even the small room down in engineering where Soren and the Captain liked working together.

Nope, nope, nope.

' _I haven't seen the boy, lassie_ ,' Mr Scott said over the comm. ' _Sure he isn't in his dads' quarters?_ '

'No, I checked,' Christine sighed.

' _I can have a look-see at the computers, Nurse Chapel,_ ' Mr Scott said.

'He's using a new algorithm,' Christine huffed. Mr Scott had managed to crack Soren's very first algorithm, but now it took either Mr Spock or Captain Kirk to figure out his new ones. Soren was too clever for his own good.

' _I see_ ,' Mr Scott mused. ' _Have yeh tried the bridge? I remember bein' there when Captain Kirk told Soren he'd be workin' a double shift. Maybe the lad missed his dad._ '

'I'll go check,' Christine said. 'Thank you, Mr Scott.'

' _No worries, lass,_ ' Mr Scott replied. ' _I'll comm if I catch wind o' him_.'

Mr Scott disconnected and Christine groaned, reaching up to rub at her forehead. Next time she was refusing; she'd just politely tell Captain Kirk and Mr Spock that she was too busy; she had people to take care of, people who _stayed where they were_. Nobody but the Captain and Commander ever tried to escape medbay, and that was because they didn't truly understand just how terrifying Doctor McCoy could be. Christine knew better. Christine was _smart_.

Sighing again, Christine decided to go to the bridge. If Soren wasn't there, Captain Kirk and Mr Spock could at least find him. All it would take was Mr Spock making a ship-wide announcement that Soren would be grounded indefinitely if he didn't go to the bridge within ten minutes. Soren always arrived out of breath and looking guilty.

It took Christine ten minutes to get to the bridge herself, and she scowled when she walked in to find Soren Grayson Kirk spinning around on the Captain's seat. The Captain was standing behind him, grinning, while Mr Spock watched from his station with a very small smile of his own. Most of the bridge crew was smiling, actually, as Soren shouted, 'Fire the photon torpedoes!'

'Aye, aye, Captain Grayson,' Mr Sulu chirped, making Soren beam.

'There you are!' Christine snapped before Soren could make any more orders. The boy immediately froze, eyes wide as he watched Christine approach. 'Have you been here the entire time?' Christine demanded when she reached him.

'Uh... yes?' Soren tried, offering her a bright smile.

Captain Kirk raised his brows and turned to Christine. 'Is there a problem, Nurse Chapel?'

'Yes,' Christine sighed, 'Soren left the medbay without permission.'

Silence fell, the bridge crew suddenly finding their stations fascinating, and Soren winced.

'Soren,' Mr Spock said, and the little Vulcan immediately bowed his head and started fidgeting. 'You told your father and myself that Nurse Chapel had sent you to us for lunch,' Mr Spock said as he stood and made his way over to his son and bondmate.

'Uh...' Soren hummed, 'well... I _might_ have lied about that part, Sa-mekh.' He glanced up and offered his sa-mekh a shy smile. 'Just a little bit.'

Captain Kirk snorted and Mr Spock scowled at him, which made both the Captain and Soren hunch their shoulders. Christine hid a smile in her hand. “Like father, like son”, as the saying went.

'Soren,' Mr Spock said, 'as we have told you _countless times_ , you must remain with the people your father and I entrust your care to.'

'I know,' Soren mumbled.

'And yet you continue to break our rules,' Spock stated. 'You will be receiving a thirty minute time out after lunch.'

'What?' Soren spluttered. 'But Sa-mekh-'

'You broke the rules,' Spock interrupted, 'and as such, you will be punished.'

Soren turned to his father, blue eyes wide, and Captain Kirk shrugged a shoulder. 'Sorry, little man,' he said, 'you know what happens when you're naughty.'

The five-year-old pouted and kicked at the floor with his boot, but he didn't say a word.

'Now,' Mr Spock said, turning his attention on Christine. Christine blushed slightly. 'Soren, you will apologise to Nurse Chapel for making her chase after you around the _Enterprise_.'

Soren sighed but shuffled off the Captain's seat and over to Christine. He looked up at her and Christine felt her heart melt a little. Soren was going to break a lot of hearts when he got older, she just knew it.

'Nurse Chapel, please accept my apologies. I know that you just want to make sure that I'm safe and I ran away. I'm sorry.' He bowed slightly and Christine reached out to pat his shoulder.

'That's okay, Soren,' she said, 'just don't do it again.'

Soren nodded, but Christine recognised the glint in his eyes; he'd do it again and again and again until he was old enough to look after himself. Christine couldn't really blame him; he was a young boy and he wanted to play. Christine probably wasn't that much fun to a five-year-old.

'I won't,' Soren lied and Captain Kirk snickered again while Mr Spock pursed his lips.

'Lunch time!' Captain Kirk called. 'Everyone be back at your stations in an hour unless your shift has ended. See ya all then!'

He walked over to Soren and Christine and wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders while smiling brightly at the nurse.

'Sorry about him,' he said.

'It's fine, Captain,' Christine replied.

'Soren needs to learn to do as he is told,' Mr Spock said as he followed them from the bridge and into the turbolift.

'I won't do it again,' Soren spoke up, 'honest.'

'You said that last week,' Mr Spock said.

' _And_ the week before that,' Captain Kirk added.

'And the week before that you said-'

'Okay!' Soren interrupted his sa-mekh, his cheeks turning green.

'You can't lie to us, little man,' the Captain smiled down at his son, 'I can never lie to your sa-mekh, he always knows. And you take after me.'

'No fair,' Soren grumbled. 'Sa-mekh, why can't I be more like you?'

'I ask myself that every day,' Mr Spock said.

The Captain burst into a fit of giggles, making Mr Spock smile slightly. Soren just looked confused and Christine shook her head at the weird yet highly adorable little family.

The turbolift stopped and the doors opened, revealing the familiar corridor that led to the mess. Captain Kirk and Mr Spock stepped out, the Captain pushing Soren along before turning to Christine.

'Would you like to join us, Nurse Chapel?' he asked.

Soren had his arms crossed, lips pouting and eyebrows furrowed. Christine smiled again and said, 'No, Captain, I have to get back to work. Thank you for the offer, though.'

'Fair enough,' the Captain said. 'And don't worry, we'll get Scotty to watch Soren this time. He comm'd and said he doesn't mind watching Soren until I finish my shift.'

'Yay!' Soren cheered. 'Dad, can Mr Scott and I build a dragon?'

'You may build a dragon when you come up with working blueprints,' Mr Spock said, making Soren pout again.

' _And_ when you stop running off on your babysitters,' the Captain said.

' _Minders_ ,' Soren corrected.

Christine smiled and let the turbolift doors close, cutting off the bickering family. Her communicator chirped as she was heading back to the medbay, and Christine tapped the answer button.

'Yes?'

' _Have you found him yet?_ ' Carol asked.

'He was on the bridge,' Christine sighed.

Carol laughed. ' _Of course he was_ ,' she said. ' _I remember a young nurse who liked to wander up to the bridge just to see a certain Vulcan._ '

' _Carol_ ,' Christine hissed, which just made the other woman laugh that much harder. 'I'm over Spock,' Christine said. 'He's happily married _and_ bonded _and_ has a son. Plus he and the Captain are adorable.'

' _They really are,_ ' Carol sighed. ' _Anyway, do you have to watch Soren again, or are you free to join me in Science Lab 2? I think I might have found a vaccine that won't make Ensign Rogers swell up like a strawberry_.'

'I'm free,' Christine said and changed the turbolift's destination. 'I really don't want to go back to medbay. Dr McCoy will laugh at me again.'

Carol snickered. ' _He's a bastard like that. Well come on, hurry up! I've got lunch waiting so we don't have to leave._ '

'Sounds heavenly,' Christine sighed and ended the comm. She needed a break after chasing Soren all over the _Enterprise_.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


'I didn't mean to,' Soren huffed as his sa-mekh placed a tray in front of him.

'Yes you did,' Spock said.

'You _really_ did because I've just looked over the algorithm you used to get away from Chapel,' Jim said, waving his PADD at Soren. 'Getting better, kiddo.'

Soren beamed with pride and Spock glared at his bondmate, who threw him a wink.

'Eat your lunch, Soren, and then you will have your time out,' Spock said.

Soren pouted but knew better than to argue; if he argued, more minutes would be added to his time out, and he'd get less time with Mr Scott and whatever project the head engineer had come up with. Soren used his fork to separate his fries, fruit and vegetarian pasta; the replicators always seemed to like overlapping everything, and Soren preferred his food to be separate.

Unlike his dad, who shoved fries into his cheeseburger, more into his mouth, and than took a large bite of his burger, moaning as he chewed. Spock sighed and Soren giggled through a mouthful of strawberries.

'Jim,' Spock said.

'Sowwy,' Jim mumbled around his food, and then wilted when Spock glared. He swallowed thickly and said, 'Sorry, Spock.

'How can we expect Soren to follow our rules when you can't?' Spock questioned.

'Yeah!' Soren chimed in, and grinned when his dad tossed a hurt expression at him.

'I'm an adult; I'm allowed to break the rules when I think it's okay to,' Jim said, pointing a fry at Spock.

'Chewing with your mouth open is disgusting and impolite, Jim,' Spock said. 'Also, you could choke.'

'Yeah!' Soren repeated.

'Not helping, little man,' Jim said.

'Not trying to,' Soren replied, like his dad often did. Jim glowered at him and Soren just smiled as he ate another strawberry.

'Soren,' Spock said and folded his hands before his tray.

Soren glared down at his food.

'You know that your father and I are just worried,' Spock continued. 'We like to know where you are.'

'I know,' Soren sighed, 'I do, Sa-mekh, honest! I'm not trying to make you and Dad worry. I just get so _bored_ with Nurse Chapel and Doctor Marcus. They won't let me do anything fun.'

'You seem to be alright when we leave you with Doctor McCoy and Mr Scott,' Spock said.

''Cause they're fun,' Soren said. 'Mr Scott shows me computers and how to build stuff. He lets me write new codes. And Uncle Bones lets me read Aunt Nyota's language books and teaches me stuff about medicine.'

'Nurse Chapel and Doctor Marcus don't let you do as you wish?' Spock asked, raising an eyebrow. Jim's own were furrowed.

'No,' Soren pouted. 'They make me sit in the corner with my usual school work. Which is only fun for, like, half-an-hour, Sa-mekh. I get it all done and then I'm bored and they tell me to read or stay still!'

'I see,' Spock mused, tapping his fingers against the table.

'So basically you take off 'cause you're bored,' Jim said, and Soren nodded. 'Okay, kiddo, that sounds like it's our fault, not yours.'

Soren's eyebrows shot up and he looked between his fathers. 'Really?'

Spock nodded. 'Yes. We should have made sure that you had enough work to keep you occupied. I will speak with Nurse Chapel and Doctor Marcus before we ask them to mind you again.'

'Promise?' Soren asked, eyes wide with hope.

'Yeah, kiddo,' Jim smiled at him, 'we promise.'

Soren's mood had picked up and he grinned as he went back to eating his strawberries, followed quickly by his fries and pasta. Jim and Spock watched while they picked at their own food. After lunch, and after Soren's time out, they dropped Soren off with Scotty and headed back to the bridge.

'It's our fault,' Jim sighed. 'All this time I thought Soren was just being a little bastard like me, but he was bored out of his skull.'

'I believe that it is a mixture between the two,' Spock said. 'Soren is bored, but he also enjoys getting away from Nurse Chapel and Doctor Marcus.'

'So... you don't think he'll stop?' Jim asked. 'Even if we leave him with a heap of stuff to do?'

'I think that finding him things to do will drastically decrease the amount of times Soren _does_ escape,' Spock said. 'However, as I often say, he _is_ your son. Soren will run no matter what we do because it is in his nature to do so.'

'Yeah,' Jim hummed, 'yeah, that's what I figured. But I thought I could maybe start out some rough sketches for that dragon robot he wants to build. Figuring the rest out will keep him busy for a while.'

Spock sighed through his nose and noted Jim grinning at him from the corner of his eye. 'Soren's quarters will soon be filled with robotic dragons,' he stated rather than asked.

'Oh, yeah,' Jim beamed and leaned over to peck Spock on the cheek. Spock narrowed his eyes. 'You know you love us,' Jim quipped and dragged Spock into the turbolift.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


'Did you brush your teeth?' Jim asked as he sat on Soren's bed.

'Yeah,' Soren nodded. 'And I flossed, too, like Sa-mekh told me to.'

Jim smiled slightly. He often forgot to brush and floss. Luckily he had Spock to remind him. 'You okay, little man?' Jim asked and smoothed Soren's space-patterned duvet out.

Soren frowned. 'Yeah...?' he said slowly and Jim laughed.

'You're not in trouble, Soren. I just feel bad about leaving you with Nurse Chapel and Doctor Marcus when you were so bored.'

'It's okay,' Soren shrugged. 'You and Sa-mekh are busy.'

'But you miss us,' Jim said.

Soren hesitated before nodding. 'I'm okay on my own,' he said, 'but can I visit you more often? Even just five minutes would be nice, Dad. It makes my head stop hurting.'

Jim frowned. 'Your head hurts when you're away from us?'

'Sometimes,' Soren admitted. 'It's like my side of the bond is trying to find you but you're too far away. Sa-mekh explained that my telepathy isn't as strong as his, so the bridge is really far away for me.'

'Oh, kiddo, I'm sorry,' Jim sighed. He shifted up the bed to pull Soren into a hug, brushing the boy's black hair behind his pointed ears. 'I promise that I'll do better, okay? We'll have lunch together more often. Do you need both of us there?'

'I prefer both of you,' Soren said, voice muffled against Jim's t-shirt, 'but just one of you is enough.'

'Okay,' Jim said. 'Me and your sa-mekh will go over our schedules and make things better.'

'Okay,' Soren echoed and laid back down.

'Want a story?' Jim asked, and Soren shook his head. 'Alright, kiddo, sleep well.'

'You too, Dad,' Soren said, smiling at him.

Jim smiled back and bent down to press a kiss to Soren's cheek. He quickly glanced around and, when he was sure that Spock wasn't in the room, he whispered, 'How long did it take Nurse Chapel to find you?'

'Thirty-three minutes,' Soren admitted. 'My PADD alerted me when the computer was trying to pinpoint my location.'

'Wow,' Jim said. 'Good job, kiddo.' Soren grinned. 'Don't tell your sa-mekh I said that,' Jim added with a wink, which made Soren giggle. 'Night, little man.'

'Good night, Dad. Tell Sa-mekh I love him.'

'I will,' Jim promised. He threaded his fingers through Soren's hair one last time before standing and leaving the room. He entered his and Spock's room through the connecting bathroom and found Spock sitting in bed watching him. 'What?' Jim asked.

Spock narrowed his eyes.

'Somethin' wrong?' Jim questioned, trying to play casual.

'You are proud that Soren managed to escape Nurse Chapel,' Spock said.

'What?' Jim laughed. 'No, no _way_. It was wrong and Soren was bad and we're totally gonna punish him if he does it again.'

Spock just stared at him and Jim fidgeted.

'Jim,' was all Spock said.

'I'm just proud, okay?' Jim near-shouted. 'He's growing up so fast and he'd totally be an awesome captain one day! Or a spy! Or a-'

'Jim,' Spock interrupted and slid from the bed. Jim swallowed thickly. 'Soren was already punished for his behaviour today,' Spock said as he approached his bondmate.

'Uh... y-yeah,' Jim said.

Spock tilted his head. 'You have yet to be punished,' he said.

'N-No,' Jim stuttered again.

Spock's eyes roamed over Jim's body slowly before meeting his gaze. His lips quirked upward and Jim felt a pulse of _want_ sear across their bond. Jim shivered and licked his lips.

' _Oh_ ,' he breathed just as Spock fisted a hand in his shirt and dragged him forward. 'I'm _totally_ down with that kind of punishment.'

Spock shut him up with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note:** This turned out a bit more family orientated than I'd originally planned... I tried! At least I tried.
> 
> {Dreamer}


	5. Chapter 5

T'Sehn and Starn stared as the solar-operated dragon slowly shifted across the floor. One of its clawed forelegs reached out, dragged across the floor, and then stopped. After a few more seconds of movement the dragon stopped completely and their nephew, Soren Grayson Kirk, huffed.

'It needs a new source of power,' Soren said. 'Solar just isn't good enough.'

'Is it difficult, finding sun-rays aboard a ship?' T'Sehn questioned.

'You could take it down to Vulcan,' Starn added.

'I re-charge it in the Conservatory,' Soren told them, 'but the metal it's made out of is too heavy and uses all the power very quickly, as you just saw.'

'I would be interested to see the blueprints for this... robot,' T'Sehn said. She raised her eyes, the brown colour much darker than her brother's. She looked like her mother, T'Rin, while Starn looked a lot like Sarek. Both had identical hair, cut short in the traditional Vulcan way. While the twins had conversed with Soren multiple times via computer, both were still always mildly shocked when they set eyes on Soren's black hair paired with bright blue eyes. It was very odd, both could admit, to see such light colouring in a Vulcan face.

'I have them saved on my PADD,' Soren said and lifted himself to his feet. He brushed dust from his brown pants- cargo pants, Starn believed Soren had called them- and walked across the recreation room to pick up his PADD.

While Soren was occupied, Starn turned to his sister. 'You wish to see the blueprints?' he questioned.

'The... dragon, is rather fascinating,' T'Sehn said.

'I do not understand your enjoyment of robots,' Starn said, sighing slightly.

T'Sehn had to fight back a smile. It was unbecoming of a Vulcan to smile. Although...

She glanced up when Soren rejoined them, sitting cross-legged before the twins. 'Soren?'

'Yes, Aunt T'Sehn?' Soren asked, smiling brightly at her.

T'Sehn raised an eyebrow, looking very much like her older half-brother, Spock. 'You are only a quarter Vulcan,' T'Sehn said.

Soren's smile fell slightly and the twins watched as his body stiffened. 'Yeah...' he said slowly.

'Yet your sa-mekh, our sa-kai, raises you Vulcan,' T'Sehn said.

'No,' Soren shook his head, 'Sa-mekh and Dad raise me as both human _and_ Vulcan.'

T'Sehn tilted her head and Starn asked, 'How do they do that?'

'Well... Dad let's me smile and play and shout and be emotional- you know,  _ human _ ,' Soren said. He waited until both had nodded in understanding before continuing. 'Sa-mekh teaches me how to meditate and how to understand my emotions but act logically. I'm learning about mind melds, but Sa-mekh said it'll probably be harder for me to meld 'cause I'm a weak touch-telepath.'

T'Sehn noted that Soren was in no way upset or disheartened by that thought. She knew children- Vulcans whom she went to school with- who were weak touch-telepaths. They all felt that they had dishonoured their Houses, and the other Vulcans felt the same.

Yet Soren didn't seem upset. Perhaps it was the human in him, T'Sehn thought.

'Sa-kai Spock does not feel that you have shamed the House of Surak due to your poor telepathic skills?' T'Sehn questioned.

Soren frowned at her, his features so very...  _ human _ . He reminded T'Sehn a lot of his human father, James.

'Of course not,' Soren said, sounding offended, 'Sa-mekh loves me! I'd have to, like,  _ kill  _ someone to dishonour the House of Surak!'

'Now that's the truth!'

The three children turned to see Captain Kirk and Commander Spock, the latter of whom greeted T'Sehn and Starn with the ta'al.

'Greetings, Ko-kai T'Sehn, Sa-kai Starn,' Spock said.

The twins rose to their feet and offered the ta'al in return, saying, 'Greetings, Sa-kai Spock,' together.

Captain Kirk chuckled, as though he found them humorous, while he bent to ruffle Soren's hair.

' _ Dad _ ,' Soren huffed, reaching up to right his dark locks. 'Toreth's contacting me in less then three minutes!'

'Oh, sorry,' Captain Kirk smirked. 'I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend.'

T'Sehn tilted her head and Starn raised an eyebrow when Soren flushed green, his eyes narrowed on his father.

'Toreth isn't my girlfriend, Dad!' he said. 'I'm waiting for my t'hy'la, remember?'

''Course, how could I forget?' Captain Kirk grinned. He then turned to T'Sehn and Starn, bowing slightly. 'T'Sehn, Starn, welcome aboard. Sorry we couldn't greet you when you first arrived.'

'Apologies are not necessary, Captain,' Starn said. 'Ko-mekh informed us that you were once again expecting offspring.'

Spock nodded, one hand falling to his stomach, where the twins could just make out the soft bump that showed their sleeping child.

'Indeed,' Spock said.

'We wish glad tidings and good health upon your new child, our sa-kai or ko-kai,' T'Sehn said.

Spock bowed his head in thanks, and Captain Kirk clapped his hands together. 'So, kids, are you okay to stay in here?' he asked. 'Only, Soren's got a comm call with a friend of his from Terra soon. You're welcome to stay here and talk to Toreth- she's half-Romulan, you might like her. Or I can arrange some tours of the _Enterprise_ for you before you go home.'

T'Sehn and Starn shared a look, conveying everything that they wished to do in a way that only siblings truly could. Soren pouted as he watched them; his little brother or sister wasn't born yet, and he had to wait a whole seven months before he could meet them! He couldn't wait 'til he got to play with his sibling like T'Sehn and Starn could.

'I will stay,' Starn said, turning back to Jim and Soren.

'However, I would be gratified to tour the engineering section of the _Enterprise_ ,' T'Sehn said. 'I find myself fascinated by engines.'

'You and me both, T'Sehn,' Captain Kirk beamed at her. 'Right, Spock, you've gotta go rest.'

Spock sighed.

'Starn, Soren, we'll see you soon,' Jim said to his son and brother-in-law. Soren hugged him while Starn just nodded. 'Come on, T'Sehn, I'll introduce you to Scotty. You two'll get along really well.'

'Bye, T'Sehn!' Soren waved. T'Sehn bowed and followed her sa-kai and his bondmate from the recreation room. They parted ways at one of the turbolifts, T'Sehn watching as the two touched fingers.

As they were walking down the hallway, Captain Kirk said, 'I heard some of your conversation with Soren.'

'Indeed,' T'Sehn said.

'He hasn't dishonoured us in any way,' Captain Kirk said. 'Soren's not fully Vulcan, so we don't expect him to act as such. He's allowed to play and laugh, and he's allowed to meditate and act logically. He gets the best of both worlds.'

'Yes...' T'Sehn said slowly, 'Ambassador Selek said as much when we last visited him. He will be visiting Soren tomorrow.'

'Good,' Captain Kirk smiled, 'I miss the old man.'

T'Sehn raised her eyebrows and Captain Kirk laughed.

'I love him, and I love teasing him,' he said, 'think nothing of it.'

'Indeed,' T'Sehn repeated. 'Sa-mekh has a deep fondness for him also.'

'Yeah, so does Spock,' Captain Kirk smiled softly. 'He's pretty great.'

T'Sehn just nodded. Ambassador Selek was always quite courteous to her and Starn, but he didn't seem to... like them, as much as he liked Soren. T'Sehn was unsure why, and her sa-mekh had told her not to worry.

'Here we are,' Captain Kirk announced when they reached the Engineering Department. He winked at T'Sehn. 'Feel free to smile. I promise I won't tell anyone.'

With that he opened the doors, ushering T'Sehn in before himself. T'Sehn _did_ have to fight not to smile when she saw the men and women in red and the engines, her fingers almost _itching_ to touch and explore.

Captain Kirk did not seem to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sa-kai** – brother
> 
> **Ko-kai** – sister
> 
> **Sa-mekh** – father
> 
> **Ko-mekh** – mother
> 
> **Author's Note:** I dunno, I just wanted to have some interaction between Soren and his aunt/uncle. 'Cause I kinda forget, at times, that I gave Sarek a new wife who was pregnant with twins in the first drabble, thus making Soren's aunt and uncle a few months younger than himself.
> 
> Anywho, there you go.
> 
> {Dreamer}


	6. Chapter 6

' _No_ , Sa'mekh'al, you do it like  _this_ .'

Sarek looked up from the article he was reading to see Soren placing two cards onto a pile to Selek's right. Selek raised an eyebrow. 'What now, nu'ri-veh?' Selek questioned.

The four-year-old grinned widely and slapped a car atop the pile between them. 'SNAP!' he shouted, earning a soft chuckle from Selek.

'You have bested me, Soren,' Selek said. He leaned closer. 'But I shall learn and best you, one day.'

'Nah-ah,' Soren giggled. He was already collecting the cards and trying to shuffle them, but his hands were too small. Selek smiled and reached over to help him. 'Sa-mekh says I've got a good memory, so I always know what cards are comin'.'

'Eidetic memory is a trait shared by most Vulcans,' Selek said.

Soren looked up at him, blue eyes wide and bright. 'Do I have eidetic memory?'

'No,' Selek said. Soren pouted, looking very much like his human father. 'But that is okay, Soren,' Selek continued. 'You will simply study and remember all that you can. What you forget will not be worth remembering in the first place.'

Soren's pout turned into a frown as the little boy tried to work out what his grandfather had said. Selek waited patiently until Soren nodded and said, 'Okay!' a smile once again fixed on his face. 'Wanna play again?'

'Of course,' Selek said. He sat and waited patiently for Soren to shuffle the cards, leaning down to pick up the ones he dropped.

Sarek remained silent as he watched his grandson and his son from another universe converse, play, and bond. Selek and Spock were so similar, yet so different. Sarek still often found himself shocked at the relationship he and Selek had managed to build. The Vulcan  _was_ his son yet wasn't; the same yet different. Selek had been a great source of comfort while Sarek had mourned his wife. Selek had spent seventy-two years with his mother; Spock had only had twenty-eight years.

As the years passed, Sarek was beginning to note more similarities between Selek and Spock. Selek had spent many years with his James T. Kirk; had lived long surrounded by humans. And Spock was now doing the same. His bond with James had made it possible for Spock to reconcile the two halves of himself and learn how to accept his human side rather than suppress it.

Sarek sighed silently and leaned back in his seat. Soren was now trying to show Selek a card trick, and though he wasn't quite managing it, Selek was smiling and acting as though he was surprised and delighted. In a way he was, Sarek mused. Soren was something that Selek had never had a chance to have; a son created and raised by James T. Kirk and S'chn T'gai Spock.

Sarek wondered briefly how Amanda would have reacted to Soren... a split second later he realised he didn't have to; Amanda would have  _adored_ Soren. She would have hugged him constantly, loved him and reassured him and treated him with love every second she was in his company. She would have been a perfect grandmother.

Sarek thought of his wife whenever he set eyes on Soren. The boy was so bright, so full of life, so...  _human_ . Spock was teaching him Vulcan and teaching him about their culture, but he also allowed the boy to flourish on his own. Soren was never told to suppress who he was. James and Spock were raising him well.

Sarek's own children didn't laugh like Soren, or giggle and rush about and preform magic tricks. That wasn't to say that they weren't happy; Sarek and his new wife made sure that T'Sehn and Starn had everything they could wish for and that they would one day become happy, healthy members of Vulcan's society. But they were pure Vulcan; they would never giggle and play  _Starfleet versus Klingons_ or pull a card from the sleeves of their robes.

After so many years, after so many faults while raising Spock, Sarek was finally beginning to understand what it took to raise a happy Vulcan hybrid.

'Sa'mekh'al Sarek!'

Sarek pulled himself from his musings to look at Soren. The young boy was grinning at him, as he often did, and waving a card around. 'Yes, Soren?'

'Wanna see a magic trick?' Soren asked.

Sarek briefly met Selek's eyes; the older Vulcan was looking at him with undisguised amusement. Unbefitting a Vulcan, perhaps, but perfectly acceptable for a human-Vulcan.

'Of course,' Sarek said.

Soren cheered and slid from the sofa. He quickly raced across the living space and clambered onto Sarek's lap. It had been a shock at first, but Sarek had quickly learned to accept Soren's physicality. James was a very physical human, often clapping people on the shoulder, hugging others, and exchanging hugs with his son and bondmate. Soren had picked that up quickly.

Sarek was silent as Soren preformed his trick. Sarek noted the card stuffed up his sleeve, but made the appropriate noises when Soren revealed it with a flourish. Soren grinned when he was done, chubby cheeks green with delight.

'Dad showed me that,' Soren said, looking rather proud.

'You must show him how much you have improved,' Sarek suggested.

Soren looked delighted by the idea and Sarek noted Selek stifling laughter across the room.

'Now,' Sarek continued, 'it is time for tea, Soren. Go wash your hands.'

'Okay.' Soren dropped back to the floor and scampered off, rushing through the house like T'Sehn and Starn never did. It made Sarek smile slightly- a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

'He is a bright child,' Selek commented.

Sarek glanced up to see Selek putting the cards Soren had been playing with away, each plastic sheet slotted into the box they had come in.

'Indeed,' Sarek replied. 'He is...'

'Jim,' Selek offered, smiling when Sarek met his eyes. 'I admit that I see much of my younger self in Soren- in his love of computers and his fascination with space. But his temperament matches Jim.'

'Indeed,' Sarek repeated. 'I have often pondered Spock and James' future offspring, and whether they will take after James like Soren has, or if they will take after Spock.'

'You wish for my grandchildren,' Selek said in clear amusement.

'Wishing for something is a human trait, Selek,' Sarek said.

Selek smiled at him. 'And one we Vulcans often find ourselves prey to.'

Sarek stared at him for a beat before inclining his head. He supposed that it was illogical to try and lie to Selek; the man knew him well.

Soren came rushing back into the room then, and showed the older Vulcans his clean hands. Sarek nodded in satisfaction and Selek led Soren into the kitchen. T'Rin, Sarek's wife, had made a pot of plomeek soup before taking the twins to her brother's house for an overnight visit. Seken had been a farmer on Vulcan and was now one of the few Vulcans who had moved to the more rural areas of New Vulcan to once again start cultivating Vulcan plants. He had two sons, Sarkn and S'Parn, who were “following the family trade”, as Amanda would have said.

Sarek paused briefly over the pot, his mind travelling back to when Amanda had been pregnant with Spock. He remembered her adding all sorts of odd ingredients to plomeek soup. Her cravings had been “insane”, in her words.

He felt a soft nudge on his bond with T'Rin, and sent reassurance back. He and T'Rin cared for each other, and their bond was strong. But it wasn't as strong as Sarek's bond with Amanda had been. T'Rin, too, had lost her first spouse on Vulcan. They had been a great comfort to each other over the past few years.

'Sa'mekh'al?'

Soren's inquisitive voice once again brought Sarek from his thoughts, and he offered the boy a nod as he dished out three bowls of soup.

'Thank you, Sa'mekh'al Sarek,' Soren said politely before he began slurping his soup.

'Manners, Soren,' Selek reminded him.

The boy blushed and said, 'Sorry.' He soon smiled once more. 'Plomeek is yummy! It tastes better here than on the  _Enterprise_ .'

'The food on the  _Enterprise_ is replicated, Soren,' Selek said. 'We have fresh ingredients here and your tastebuds note the difference.'

'Dad can't tell the difference, but Sa-mekh can,' Soren said. 'And Uncle Bones said that replicated food tastes like cardboard.'

'And how would he know what cardboard tastes like?' Selek questioned. Soren frowned at him. 'Perhaps he has eaten cardboard before,' Selek added.

Soren blinked slowly before a grin lit up his face. Then he giggled, burying his face in the sleeve of his robe. 'That's funny, Sa'mekh'al!' Soren said through his laughter. 'Plomeek's my favourite,' he then went on, chattering like only small human children knew how to... or small human-Vulcan children, in this case. 'And then I like fruit salad, and then fries, and then cheese toasted sandwiches, and then apples, and then tomato pasta, and then-'

Soren listed all of his favourite foods, sometimes repeating himself, other times forgetting what something was called- 'It's red and small and tastes like summer!' There was never a dull moment with Soren in the house, and Sarek felt his heart fall slightly at the knowledge that Soren would be returning to his parents in three days' time.

The  _Enterprise_ had been passing by New Vulcan and Starfleet had granted a one-week long shore leave. James and Spock had immediately jumped at the chance to take a small “vacation”, which Sarek knew was being spent in their quarters with the door locked. He and Selek had offered to watch Soren; it gave James and Spock a chance to be alone, and Sarek and Selek a chance to spend time with Soren. The last time Sarek had seen his grandson in the flesh, Soren had been just a babe, only a few months old and already causing a fuss.

When dinner was done, Sarek took Soren into the bathroom to wash for bed. Most Vulcan children could bathe themselves by the time they were three, but Soren was only one quarter Vulcan and had the tendency to splash water everywhere and forget to wash. So Sarek sat on the side of the bath, reminding Soren of what he needed to do, and watching as the boy splashed and giggled and played games only he understood.

An hour later Soren was snuggled into the bed in Sarek's guest room, Sarek and Selek sitting beside the mattress.

'Do you wish to hear a story, Soren?' Selek questioned.

'Uh-huh,' Soren said. He turned to Selek. 'Can you tell me about K o'mekh-il?' he asked.

Sarek felt his heart skip a beat, but his face remained impassive. Selek was watching him closely, but there was no need. Sarek wanted Soren to know of his grandmother; he would never meet her, but he should know her.

'She was a beautiful woman,' Sarek said, falling into graphic descriptions rather than scientific ones. For Soren he described Amanda's hair and eyes, the clothes she had worn and the soft, yet strong, way she had spoken; he described her lush gardens in San Francisco and on Vulcan, the way she had tended to each plant carefully, like each petal, each leaf, was special to her. He told Soren of the time Spock had been collecting beetles and had climbed up onto one of Amanda's flower beds, getting dirty and falling off when he made to catch a beetle that flew away.

'Really?' Soren gasped, close to bouncing in the bed. 'Sa-mekh did that?'

'Indeed,' Selek said. 'Your ko'mekh-il discovered him laying on the tiles, covered in soil and with a fresh green bruise blossoming over his cheek.'

'Were you there?' Soren asked, eyes wide.

Sarek glanced at Selek. Neither they or the boy's fathers had known how to explain Selek's true identity. James and Spock had eventually decided that Soren was too young, and that the explanation could wait until Soren was older and wanted to know the truth. For now, Selek was Soren's second sa'mekh'al, and he acted like one.

'Negative,' Selek eventually said. 'But I have heard the story before. Your sa-mekh still blushes when he hears it. Be sure to bring it up when you return to the  _ Enterprise _ .'

'Okay!' Soren agreed easily.

Sarek raised an eyebrow and Selek simply smiled, apparently satisfied that he would be embarrassing his younger self.

Sarek told a few more stories about Amanda before Soren was ready to sleep, and Selek said his goodnights before leaving the room. Sarek hugged Soren tightly when the boy raised his arms, and then stood and smoothed his robes down.

'Sa'mekh'al?'

'Yes, Soren?'

Soren chewed on his bottom lip before saying, 'Do you miss Ko'mekh-il a lot?'

Sarek paused at the question. Soren was staring up at him, blue eyes bright in the amber glow from the overhead light. 'Yes, Soren,' he finally said. 'I miss her every day.'

'I'm sorry you lost her,' Soren said. 'I know that Sa-mekh does. I saw him cry once, and Dad was hugging him, then Sa-mekh let me hug him, too, and we ate ice-cream for dinner.'

Sarek allowed a small smile to tilt his lips up. 'That was very nice of you, Soren.'

Soren shrugged and snuggled back down. 'I dunno what I'd do if I lost Sa-mekh or Dad. I'd cry a lot and be sad all the time. I'd want lots and lots of hugs from everyone.' He looked up. 'If you ever want a hug, Sa'mekh'al, just ask, 'kay?'

'I will, Soren,' Sarek promised.

The boy smiled at him, then mumbled, 'Goodnight,' clutching his stuffed dragon toy to his chest as he quickly fell asleep. Sarek watched him for two point three minutes before leaving, flicking the light off but leaving the door open.

He found Selek in the living room, two mugs of Vulcan spiced tea sitting on the table.

Sarek nodded his thanks to the older Vulcan as he sat and took his tea, sipping slowly to avoid burning his mouth.

'I enjoy talking about Amanda with Soren,' Sarek spoke suddenly.

Selek looked up at him. 'Do you?' he queried.

Sarek nodded. 'Soren will never get to meet her... not in this time, in this universe. But he should know of her.'

'I agree,' Selek said. He put his PADD on his lap and smiled softly. 'She would have loved him.'

'Yes,' Sarek said. 'And she would have spoiled him.'

'I believe that grandmothers are supposed to,' Selek said. 'We shall simply have to spoil Soren in her place.'

'Do we not already?' Sarek mused.

'Indeed,' Selek laughed softly. 'It is illogical to act surprised when you know how the trick is preformed, is it not?'

Sarek allowed his own lips to twitch upward. 'Indeed,' he echoed, 'however, Soren is a Kirk. And as my son is fond of saying, James T. Kirk is the most illogical human being in any galaxy.'

Selek laughed loudly at that and nodded his head in agreement. No more words were said, the two Vulcans settling back in their seats with their teas and their PADDs. Selek's mind was on Soren, and what the boy would want to do the following day. Selek's was on the late Amanda Grayson.

_ You would have loved Soren Grayson Kirk, my wife,  _ he thought.

Not for the first time that night, Sarek allowed himself to smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Vulcan:**
> 
>  
> 
>  **Nu'ri-veh** – young one
> 
>  **Ko'mekh-il** – grandmother
> 
>  **Sa'mekh'al** – grandfather
> 
>  **Sa-mekh** – father
> 
>  **Author's Note:** I like Sarek, and I like to think that he'd have a good relationship with Soren any any future children Jim and Spock have. Also, Selek, or Spock Prime... man, it was hard writing about him. I miss Mr Nimoy.
> 
> Live long and prosper, Leonard Nimoy!
> 
> Dreamer


	7. Chapter 7

The thought came quickly, loudly, and Sarek almost chuckled aloud when it swept through his mind; _They are just like Amanda and myself._

A delivery had brought the _Enterprise_ to New Vulcan, and Sarek had asked his son to visit. Spock had brought Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy with him, the two humans welcomed by Sarek despite his surprise at them being there. He and Spock had kept in close contact since the destruction of Vulcan; Spock was one of the few blood relatives Sarek had left, and since the death of his wife Sarek had bowed to the emotion of wanting to be close to his son. It was not possible, given Spock's decision to remain with Starfleet. But in writing Sarek could bridge the distance that his behaviour and thoughts had caused in their relationship.

Captain Kirk's appearance was not shocking, when Sarek thought upon it more thoroughly. Spock's transmissions had steadily grown to include mention of the captain more and more; now more than half of Spock's letters talked about Captain Kirk, from his emotional behaviour to his very illogical, yet highly effective, chess moves.

Doctor McCoy's presence was the shock; the young doctor spoke bluntly and tended to _tease_ Spock and Vulcans, never with any true malice, but with enough to pike Sarek's curiosity and Spock's resolve to defend himself. Their arguments were... amusing.

It was Spock and Captain Kirk who truly amused Sarek, though. The two would bicker over anything and everything; from the food they ate to the clothes they wore, one of them would make a comment, the other would counter-comment, and soon they fell into quick words that sometimes grew heated, but which always held the tone of friendly competition.

It very much reminded Sarek of the time he had spent with his wife before they had first bonded. When Sarek had become Ambassador, he and Amanda had crossed paths due to her research in linguistics. They had eaten together and argued constantly, arguments that had made Sarek smile fairly regularly. When Amanda had grown truly passionate she had looked... _beautiful_. And she had cursed Sarek in the most interesting ways.

Which was what Captain Kirk was currently doing. He and Spock were in the kitchen, what they were arguing about lost on Sarek. It had begun when Captain Kirk had made himself some type of drink that Spock found illogical. They were now debating which biscuit paired better with Vulcan spice tea.

Captain Kirk's very blue eyes were flashing quite regularly, and Spock seemed to have no issue with getting into his captain's personal space, using the very small height advantage he had over the human to  _loom_ . Every so often Sarek saw his son's barriers break, emotion flashing across his face. Captain Kirk didn't miss Spock's slips either, laughing and teasing and dragging Spock further into yet another debate.

It was their behaviour, so very much like Sarek's and Amanda's before they had joined, that made Sarek look closer and think over his son's communications in a new light. Where before he had thought of it as Spock discussing his captain and first true friend, he now saw the letters as some form of _love letter_ , Spock “gushing” about the man he adored.

It was there, in his dark brown eyes, an exact match to his mother's; Spock was comfortable with his captain, able to slip, knowing that Captain Kirk would think him no less Vulcan because of it. Amanda had never bought into the belief that Vulcans had no emotions; that they repressed everything. She had teased Sarek endlessly about it, had delighted in the smiles and laughter he gave her. Only Amanda had ever been able to make Sarek laugh long and hard.

He wondered if Captain Kirk could make Spock laugh.

Sarek turned to Doctor McCoy, who was sitting on the sofa at a right angle to his, a large glass cup containing mere dregs of his last drink. He seemed content and tired; sated, even.

'Doctor McCoy,' he said.

'Huh?' The human grunted before shaking his head and glancing at Sarek. 'Yes, Sarek?'

'Are they always like that?' Sarek enquired, tilting his head towards the kitchen and the two men within. The house was spacious, the living room, kitchen and dining room all within one room, the kitchen divided from the rest by a long stone counter.

'Fightin', do you mean?' McCoy asked.

'Debating and enjoying it quite thoroughly,' Sarek corrected.

' _Enjoying_ ,' he echoed and tilted his glass at Sarek. 'I love when you Vulcans admit to emotion. Tickles me pink when Spock does.'

Sarek remained silent. Spock and McCoy's relationship was odd, he could admit; they argued much more bitterly than Spock and Captain Kirk did, yet seemed friendly enough.  _Friend or foe?_ he mused before McCoy spoke again.

'Yeah, they're always like that,' he said. 'Jim gets a kick out of it. Spock does, even though he complains relentlessly about the illogical and emotional Captain.'

Sarek said, 'They remind me of my wife and I, when we first met and began to know each other.'

McCoy raised his eyebrows. 'Is that so?'

His tone was heavy with what Sarek himself had just realised. The two stared at each other a beat, understanding passing between them.

'Doctor,' Sarek said, 'humans are emotional creatures, and from what I have seen Captain Kirk expresses himself quite loudly. Why have he and my son not come to me and informed me of their want to bond?'

McCoy laughed quite loudly at that; the pair in the kitchen didn't break from their new argument.

'Jim's... he's had a tough life,' McCoy said. 'Doesn't trust others not to leave, if you get my meaning.'

'He fears that Spock will leave if Spock knows the depth of his feelings,' Sarek summarised.

'Yeah,' McCoy nodded. 'Stupid thing to think; anyone with an eye can see how much Spock adores Jim.'

Sarek almost smiled.

'Spock's pretty much the same, though,' McCoy continued. 'He thinks Jim'll run for the hills, have him transferred, maybe. Both have an inkling of what the other feels, but have only just admitted to themselves how _they_ feel. And believe me, I was satisfied in the beginning when Jim finally told me that he thought he was in love with Spock...' the doctor shivered, 'I'm _less_ than satisfied at the imagination that boy has. I'll never look at Spock the same!'

Sarek remembered the various ways Amanda had described him in the privacy of their home... and a comment that she had made in an interview shortly after they had revealed their relationship and preparations to bond. He could only guess at what imaginings Captain Kirk had had about Spock.

'They are letting fear keep them from being together,' Sarek said.

'Yeah,' McCoy grunted. 'Spock's finally admitted to me, though- in  _actual_ words- that he's in love with Jim. So I give it a few months 'til they're falling all over each other, physically this time. Then I'll have to pray that I don't stumble across 'em in some empty room aboard the ship.'

'I see,' Sarek mused. 'Months?'

'Six at least,' McCoy grumbled. 'For a couple of geniuses, they're  _thick_ when it comes to each other. Completely idiotic! I have half a mind to-'

Sarek let the doctor's voice fade just a tad, aware that the doctor was grumbling and muttering for the sheer pleasure of  _letting it all out_ , as Terrans were fond of saying. He let his immediate attention shift to Spock and Captain Kirk, a part of him still on McCoy in case the doctor needed his full attention.

They had stopped arguing now, were instead discussing something that they both seemed to agree with. If Sarek wanted he could hear their words, but he left them their privacy. The kettle Captain Kirk had gifted Sarek sat on one of the burners, whistling loudly; it was ready to be removed. Sarek had a replicator, but almost all Vulcans- and Terrans- agreed that _fresh_ was better than _replicated_.

Captain Kirk removed the kettle and Spock held the cups. One was filled with a Terran blend of tea that Amanda had introduced Sarek to well over twenty years ago; the other held Spock's favoured Vulcan spice tea.

Captain Kirk put the kettle aside and Spock handed him his mug. Their fingers brushed as they did, and both men jolted and looked sharply at each other; Kirk's eyes wide, Spock's narrowed. It was a sudden and brief shift- smouldering eyes and leaning bodies and tongues appearing to wet lips- and then Spock pulled back, the spell broken, and Captain Kirk covered it all with a charming grin and wide blue eyes.

Sarek kept his eyes on them, he heard McCoy go into another muttered rant about green blood and torn shirts and stupid people being stupid.

Sarek found that he wasn't shocked that Captain Kirk and Spock shared a deeper connection; the brief touch, the looks both had sported... yes, there was definitely a connection. The chances of such a thing between a Vulcan and non-Vulcan were rather rare. Even Sarek hadn't felt his connection with Amanda bone-deep until the two had bonded. This hinted at something older than even Surak's teachings; something that went all the way back to the early years, when Vulcans had first created words, when the planet itself had had forests amongst the deserts...

This explained why Elder Spock always looked so pleased about his younger counterpart mentioning Captain Kirk. He didn't read all of Spock's letters to Sarek; just enough to have picked up the pattern. The glint in his eyes now had a name; clearly the elder version of Sarek's son knew about _this_. It must have been the same, or similar, in Elder Spock's world. He rarely talked about such things with Sarek, instead focusing on sciences and the planets he had visited. Although he _did_ mention his Captain Kirk often enough...

Sarek allowed himself a smile and turned back to McCoy. When he addressed the doctor the human jumped at the look on his face.

'Now I know that look,' he grumbled, 'you're scheming, Ambassador.'

'I plan to, Doctor,' Sarek replied. 'It would be illogical to allow Spock and Captain Kirk to “dance around each other”, as you humans are fond of saying. Joy could be had much sooner, and I wish for my son to have what I had with Amanda. Something even deeper than we enjoyed.'

Even now saying her name hurt, though Sarek knew that, eventually, it would grow easier. He would never stop loving her, but it would be illogical to put his life on hold and wallow in despair; Amanda would not wish that. She would want him to move on and help rebuild the Vulcan race. Sarek planned to when he next went into pon farr.

'I agree there!' Doctor McCoy said, tipping his empty glass. He frowned at it. 'Anyway,' he said, 'what's your plan?'

Sarek smiled once more. 'Truth, Doctor,' was all he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author's Note** : I just finished reading _Spock's World_ by Diane Duane; a really good read about Vulcan and its history if anyone's interested. Also, I swear to God there were hints of Spirk throughout the entire Goddamn book. Then again, the entire series of TOS was basically a giant hint at Spirk...
> 
> Anyway, one of the chapters was about Sarek and how he met Amanda. I loved it and it made me think of this. So that's that, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Dreamer


	8. Chapter 8

Spock had a double-shift; first the bridge, then Science Lab 1. Which meant that Jim got all of ten minutes with his bondmate before Spock had to leave. Jim was sitting at the table in their quarters, smiling as he watched Spock feed Soren. He never would have believed it if he didn't get to see it almost every morning; when Soren opened his bright blue eyes, squealed and made grabby hands at his sa-mekh, Spock smiled softly, picked him up, and cuddled and kissed him until Soren wanted something else.

Spock was a good sa-mekh. Jim was totally gonna reward him later that night... multiple times.

'Jim?'

Jim blinked back to himself and looked up. Spock was feeding Soren tiny pieces of Vulcan and Terran vegetables and fruits, Soren gobbling them up like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Before Soren was born Spock had requested that they raise the boy vegetarian with the proper nutritional supplements. Jim had seen no reason not to agree; Soren could always change his mind and eat meat when he was older.

Of course, Jim liked to tease Spock and remind him of the multiple cheeseburgers the Vulcan had craved and eaten when he was pregnant.

'Yeah?' he said.

'You appear to be dazed and tired,' Spock said. 'Did you not sleep sufficiently last night?'

'Yeah, I did,' Jim nodded and sipped his coffee- _real_ coffee. With recycled water, but still! Bones had found an awesome little shop on the last stare-base they'd visited and picked up twenty pounds of Terran coffee beans. Jim loved Bones, he really did. Would marry him if he wasn't completely head-over-heels for Spock.

Spock must have caught that last thought, because he frowned and raised an eyebrow.

'Kidding,' Jim grinned and nudged Spock's leg under the table. 'I'm fine, Spock. I was just thinking about how adorable you are with Soren.'

'Vulcans are not “adorable”, Jim,' Spock scolded. He then looked down at Soren, who was mashing a fori and pla-savas together. 'Soren, stop that,' he ordered. The baby, of course, ignored him. 'Pehkau,' Spock repeated. He earned a hand covered in blue fruit to the face for his troubles, and Jim laughed as his husband sighed and reached for a napkin to clean himself. 'Jim.'

'Sorry, sorry,' Jim giggled. 'Stop that, Soren, and eat your breakfast!'

'Banaba!' Soren declared. Spock sighed softly and reached for the remaining piece of banana on Soren's little plate. The baby took it with glee and shoved the entire piece into his mouth, chewing messily and beaming at his parents.

'Are you certain that you can watch Soren today?' Spock questioned. 'My shift finishes at 1300 and-'

'It's fine, Spock,' Jim said. 'I slept just fine and I can watch our son for a few hours. I did it last night. And the day before. A few days ago I even had him for-'

'I did not mean to imply that I do not trust your abilities, Jim,' Spock interrupted. His voice had softened and Jim smiled at him.

'I know, Spock,' he said. 'But I'll be fine. _We'll_ be fine.'

'Very well,' Spock said. He stood and rounded the table, depositing Soren in Jim's lap. Jim held onto the toddler firmly as Spock bent down to press a kiss to Soren's forehead. 'Rom-halan, sa-kan.'

'Sa-sa!' Soren responded, making grabby-hands at Spock's uniform tunic. Jim quickly pulled back and Soren fell short, a pout immediately forming on his lips.

Jim smiled and leaned up for his own kiss, which Spock happily gave. 'Have a good day, ashaya,' he said.

'And you as well, T'hy'la,' Spock responded. 'I will see you at lunch.'

Jim nodded and, with one last look at his small family, Spock left their quarters. Jim sighed when the door swished shut behind Spock, but his attention was immediately stolen by Soren, who decided that Jim just _had_ to have blue fruit in his hair.

'You think you're funny, don't you?' he said.

Soren clapped in response.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


After cleaning Soren (and himself) up, Jim grabbed the bright red baby carrier, put Soren in it, grabbed the baby bag that had to be dragged everywhere Soren went, and headed off. It was just past 0900, but Jim figured that it'd be fine to visit Bones. How many people could be sick and/or injured at nine in the morning?

Ten, that's how many. Jim frowned as he looked the beds over, but when he saw that nobody was _seriously_ injured he wandered across the room to knock on Bones' office door. Nurse Chapel was in Medbay rushing about, but she stopped briefly to wave her fingers at Soren before darting off again. Jim smiled in amusement until Bones' office swished open.

'Who the hell is annoying me when I _just said_ -'

'Bones!' Jim gasped dramatically and put a hand on Soren's head. 'Really, the _language_ you use! And around a baby no less!'

'Shut your trap,' McCoy grumbled. His face quickly turned into a smile, though, when Soren started squealing and waving in Bones' general direction. 'Well hey there, little hobgoblin.'

'Are you _ever_ gonna stop calling him that?' Jim asked.

McCoy grinned as he ruffled Soren's messy black hair. 'Not unless I come up with somethin' better,' the doctor said. 'I'm thinkin' “Little Kirk” if he turns out like you, and I'll just stick with “Little Hobgoblin” if he acts like Spock.'

'Whatever,' Jim shrugged a shoulder. 'Wanna do something?'

McCoy raised an eyebrow. 'Like...?'

'Uh...' Jim hummed, then frowned, hummed a bit more... 'Play chess?' he suggested.

'Play... Jim, my shift started _six hours ago_. This is my break. My very nice, very captain-free break. And you wanna ruin it?'

Jim pouted. 'But you love me. And I've got a little hobgoblin with me, too!' He turned so that Soren faced Bones and silently urged his son into joining in with the puppy-dog eyes. 'How can you just turn us away?'

'Easy,' McCoy deadpanned and slipped back into his office. The door whooshed shut in Jim's face.

'Meanie,' Jim muttered. 'Isn't Uncle Bones a meanie, Soren?'

'Mm-bah,' was Soren's helpful response.

Jim sighed. 'Fine, I'll go find someone else to hang out with!' He turned and stalked away, Chapel waving and a few of the sickbed occupants watching as he went. Jim ignored them all and wandered down the hallway, no particular destination in mind. What did he _used_ to do when he didn't have a husband and child?

_Hmm... hung out with Spock, sometimes. Most of the time... all the time. And it took us_ how long  _to get together?_ Jim thought to himself in amusement. He looked down at Soren as he bounced the baby. 'Your daddies are silly, Soren. Don't you agree? Aren't your mekhlar silly?'

Soren blinked at him, then went back to chewing on his fingers.

'Wow, nobody loves Jim today,' Jim muttered. He sighed and stopped before a turbolift, head tilted as he tried to think of something to do. Finally he just shook his head and decided  _to hell with it_ . He stepped into the turbolift, quickly riding it to the appropriate level. When he stepped out he nodded hellos to various crewmembers, then smiled when he caught sight of Spock sitting in the captain's seat. 'Soren, look who it is!'

Spock swivelled in the seat, one eyebrow already raised. Jim turned Soren and the baby squealed in delight when he saw Spock.

'Sa-sa, Sa-Sa!' he shouted and drooled and generally made a fool of himself. But he was a baby, so it was cute, Jim decided.

'Jim, Soren,' Spock said. He stood when they got closer. 'Is something wrong?' Spock asked. Their bond pulsed with slight concern from Spock's end, and Jim sent reassurance back.

'Everything's fine.'

'I see,' Spock mused. He reached over to pet Soren's scruffy hair. 'Then you are here because...?'

Jim flushed slightly and ignored the snickers that came from Sulu and Chekov, the smirk that was plastered on Uhura's face. 'Uh... I love you?' he ventured. Spock's eyebrow inched higher. 'Soren missed you?' Now there were two raised. 'Okay, fine!' Jim snapped. 'I was bored and I have no friends and I wanna stare at your ass when you bend over your science station!'

'Jim!' Spock scolded, but Jim just grinned, unperturbed. Soren was giggling to himself- over Jim's words, or the zipper of Jim's sweater that he was playing with, either one. Spock sighed almost noiselessly and reached out to take Soren from his father. 'Very well,' he said, 'if you insist on interrupting my shift you will at least be useful.'

Jim blinked. 'Say what?'

'Did you truly believe that I would not realise you had left several separate pieces of paperwork unfinished when your last shift ended?' Spock questioned.

Jim cursed under his breath. Instead of reading them and signing them, which would have meant staying back twenty minutes and missing putting Soren to bed, Jim had just left them... he'd assumed Spock would go over them when his shift started, like he usually did...

'But...' Jim pouted for the second time that morning, 'I've gotta watch Soren.'

'I currently find myself with twenty minutes free,' Spock replied immediately. He gave Jim the Spockian-equivalent of a grin. 'I can watch Soren while you finish your work, Captain.'

'But _Spoock_ -'

'Captain,' Spock interrupted.

'Fine!' Jim snapped. He ducked forward to peck Soren on the cheek. 'Your sa-mekh's mean!'

Soren babbled at him in baby talk, which Jim assumed was his agreement.

'That's right,' he said and stepped around his husband and son. He felt Spock's annoyance over their bond and sent waves of love and affection as well as the image of him smirking back.

“ _Bath'paik!_ ” was Spock's response and Jim snickered. He dumped Soren's baby bag by his feet, took the baby carrier off, and then flopped into the captain's seat

'Good morning, Kepten!' Chekov called from his station.

Jim gave the young man a small wave before grabbing the PADD Spock had left on the seat. If he had to do paperwork, then Spock had to go half-an-hour without his PADD.

Jim swivelled his seat around as he loaded one of the requests he'd been sent the day before. Spock was sitting at his station, Soren on his lap. The baby was trying to grab the desk but Spock expertly kept him away from the bright, shiny buttons and flashing screens. Jim smiled as he watched Spock run his fingers over Soren's back, straightening the black onesie Jim had put on him after breakfast.

He could totally do paperwork if he got to watch his husband and son while he was doing it.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


'I thought that you could take care of Soren for half of one day,' Spock said when they sat down to lunch in the mess hall.

Soren was asleep in the baby carrier, apparently able to sleep through the noise of a hundred men and women eating at once. Spock didn't want to wake him, and Jim figured that they could feed him his lunch after his impromptu nap.

'I can!' Jim said. 'I took care of him last Wednesday, remember?'

'Indeed,' Spock said. 'And I found you both asleep in the Medical Bay.'

Jim blinked. 'Oh, yeah.' He'd gone to visit Bones, and they'd chatted, and Soren had fallen asleep, and Jim had followed, and McCoy had left them both on one of the biobeds. 'Well Bones wouldn't play with us today!' Jim added. 'He's a meanie.'

'I see,' Spock mused, but it was clear he was only humouring Jim.

Jim frowned. 'Don't you love us, Spock? Don't you wanna see us _all the time_?'

'Of course I do,' Spock said. 'However, it is difficult to work when you and Soren are entertaining the crew in the corner of the bridge.'

'Don't act like you didn't love our re-enactment of _The Lion King_ ,' Jim huffed.

Spock raised an eyebrow at him. Their bond said that Spock very much _disliked_ said act, but Jim brushed it aside. He was a damn fine actor of 20th Century animation, and Soren was, too!

They fell into idle conversation as Spock ate and Jim tried to eat; having a baby strapped to your chest freed your hands, but made eating a chicken sandwich difficult. Spock watched him struggle for about fifteen minutes before finishing his own lunch and holding his arms out.

It was a gesture both fathers were familiar with, so Jim quickly handed Soren over then removed the baby carrier. He groaned in relief, the sound cut off when he crammed half of his sandwich into his mouth. Spock made a soft noise of disgust and ignored Jim's food-filled grin when the captain looked at him.

Jim chewed slowly as he watched Spock bounce Soren in his arms. The boy snuffled a bit, and his bright blue eyes opened sluggishly, but when Spock started murmuring to him softly in Vulcan, Soren quickly fell back asleep. It made something in Jim's chest tighten.

It was a nice feeling. Jim loved when Spock spoke Vulcan to Soren, making sure that the baby learned both Standard and the language of his sa-mekh's people. Jim had learned Vulcan years ago, back when Spock had become his First Officer. It was a difficult language, but could be beautiful when you knew how to use it.

Jim had to keep a tight leash on his side of the bond when Spock started singing very softly to Soren; it was a Vulcan lullaby, and Jim sang along in his head as he ate. For a race of purely logical people, Vulcans sure were sweet.

  
  


{oOo}

  
  


That night, after Soren had been put to bed and Jim had collapsed onto his own, he rolled over and kissed Spock thoroughly. He didn't want to start anything, but he felt Spock's warmth, love, and desire flare at the contact.

'Jim?' he questioned when they broke apart.

'I love you,' Jim said.

'And I, you,' Spock replied.

Jim grinned. 'Do you know how freaking _awesome_ it is seeing you and Soren together?'

'I find myself similarly affected when I see you with Soren,' Spock admitted.

'It's awesome, isn't it?' Jim said. 'I mean... we _created him_ , Spock! He's a little you and me!'

'Yes,' Spock said, amusement plain on his face. 'I remember you making similar statements just after he was born.'

'Well it's _awesome_ , it bears repeating,' Jim announced.

Spock chuckled shortly and draw Jim closer. Jim settled against him, eyes shut but mind still working.

'Jim?' Spock prompted when he felt his T'hy'la's mind still working.

'Do you ever think about having more?'

'More children?' Spock queried. Jim nodded against his chest. 'Certainly,' Spock said. 'I believe that I would find joy in raising a larger family with you.'

'Yeah?' Jim asked. 'How many?'

Spock pondered that for a beat before saying, 'Three would be a satisfactory number.'

'Satisfactory,' Jim echoed with a laugh.

'Yes,' Spock confirmed. 'How many children do you desire?'

'I think three's a good number,' Jim mused. 'Then Soren gets to be a big brother.'

'Indeed,' Spock said. 'However, I do believe that we should wait. I have no wish for my work to be interrupted by you and three children.'

'Shut up!' Jim huffed and slapped Spock's chest. 'I don't interrupt you _that_ much!'

'Indeed,' Spock repeated.

'I hate you,' Jim huffed, moving so he could bury his face in Spock's neck.

'2.7 minutes ago you declared that you loved me.'

'Shut up.'

Jim felt Spock's smile and bit his lip to stop his own from forming.

After a few minutes had passed, Jim said, 'You know...'

Spock hummed slightly. Jim could feel his drowsiness, but he pushed at their bond slightly to get Jim to continue.

'We should practice making babies, just in case we forget,' the blond said.

'I doubt that we could ever _forget_ , Jim.'

'I know,' Jim said, 'but... just in case.'

'I see,' the Vulcan hummed, 'shall we practice in the morning before Soren wakes?'

'Totally,' Jim said.

'Very well.'

Another pause. 'Love you, Spock.'

'And I you, T'hy'la,' Spock responded.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Vulcan:**
> 
>  
> 
> **Fori** – A type of Vulcan vegetable
> 
> **Pla-savas** – A sweet blue to black-coloured Vulcan fruit
> 
> **Pehkau** – Stop
> 
> **Rom-halan** – farewell/goodbye
> 
> **Sa-kan** – son
> 
> **Mekhlar** – parents
> 
> **Bath'paik** – damn you!
> 
> **Author's Note:** I have no idea what this is. I just wanted baby!Soren, 'cause I haven't really written any baby!Soren. And it turned into “Jim loves watching Spock and Soren”, so... there you go! Man, I haven't written any Stark Trek stuff in ages! It's blasphemy, I tell you, 'cause I love Stark Trek.
> 
> Anywho...
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Dreamer


End file.
